BV  1520  .S35  1895 
Schauffler,  Adolphus 

Frederick,  1845-1919 
Ways  of  working 


Ways  of  Working 


OR 


HELPFUL  HINTS  FOR  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
OFFICERS  AND  TEACHERS. 


By 

A.  F.  SCHAUFFLER,  D.  D. 

FORMERLY    SUPERINTENDENT    OF    OLIVET    SUNDAY 
SCHOOL,    NEW    YORK. 


New  and  Revised  Edition. 


BOSTON  AND  CHICAGO 
W.  A.  WILDE   COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,    1895. 

By  W.  a.  WILDE  COMPANY. 
All  rights  reserved. 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


PROLOGUE, 


All  the  methods  of  work  suggested  in  the  following 
pages  have  been  tried  and  approved  by  the  author. 
There  is  nothing  that  is  merely  theoretical.  Many 
things  other  than  those  alluded  to  have  also  been  tried, 
and,  having  proved  failures,  have  been  laid  aside. 
Nothing  but  what  came  through  the  fire  of  experience 
unscathed  has  been  dwelt  upon.  Not  aU  the  methods 
recommended  have  been  originated  by  the  author.  In 
fact,  the  land  was  ransacked  during  the  time  of  his 
actual  superintendency  for  helpful  methods,  and, 
wherever  these  were  found,  they  were  adopted.  Some- 
times they  had  to  be  adapted,  as  well  as  adopted,  and 
this  will  probably  be  the  case  in  many  schools  who  try 
to  take  up  with  some  of  the  reforms  suggested.  But 
if  the  suggestions  given  here  serve  to  stimulate  others 
in  the  line  of  advance  the  aim  of  the  book  will  have 
been  accomplished. 


A.  F.  SCHAUFFLER, 


New  York  City,  May,  1895. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

CHAPTER  II. 

CHAPTER  III. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

CHAPTER  V. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

CHAPTER  X. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 


PACK. 

CHURCH  AND  SCHOOL 7 

THE      PASTOR     IN     THE     SUNDAY 

SCHOOL 10 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT— ^-^w^  r/^ar- 

acteristics,  bad  and  good 20 

THE    SUPERINTENDENT  —  His  cabinet 

—  Visiting  other  schools  —  Taking  tiotes      ,  29 

THE    SUPERINTENDENT— ^-/ar/m^— 

Continuing —  Stopping  the  school       ...  39 

THE  TEACHER'S  MEETING— /^F^«/ /V 

should  not  be — What  it  should  be     ...  51 

PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY  —  i^^/;^j-  — 

Maps — Illustrations — Object  lessons     ,     .         63 

PRIVATE      LESSON    STUDY  —  Bible 

outline 76 

THE  ART  OF  QUESTIONING— Tc? /^x/ 

—  To  fix—  To   classify   thought  —  How  ?         87 

TEACHER    OUTSIDE    OF  SCHOOL  — 

Visits  —  Letters  —  Sickness 97 

OBJECT    TEACHING  —  Principles  —  Il- 
lustrations      105 

THE    BLACKBOARD  —Directions  —  Ex- 
amples  118 

THE  BLACKBOARD  — ^^^;//^«a///^// J-  .        129 

5 


CHAPTER     XIV. 

CHAPTER       XV. 
CHAPTER     XVI. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

CHAPTER     XX. 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CONTENTS. 

MUSIC  —  Leader  —  Hymns  —  Tunes—  Wor- 
ship     137 

-^-^^YMO'LY.'^QY.— Weekly— Intelligent     .        145 

THE    GRADED    ^CWOOl.  —  Necessity — 

Advantage — Method 152 

A    POINT    OF    ORDER  — i^^  gained  — 

How  kept —  Teacher's  help 164 

PREMIUMS    AND    REWARDS  —  Prin- 
ciples        172 

ENTERTAINMENTS  —  Christmas—  Sun- 
day school  Concert —  Sociables      ,     ,     .     ,        176 

THE    LIBRARY  — <9r/^/«—  What  books- 
How  get  them —  How  deliver  them    .     .     .        187 

THE  LIBRARIAN—  What  kind  of  a  per- 
son—  How  he  may  help  the  teacher  ...        193 

THE   PRIMARY   CLASS  —  Its  needs  and 

how  to  meet  them 205 

PRIMARY  CLASS  WORK—  77?^  teacher's 

tools  and  their  use 218 

THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT       ....       231 


WAYS  OF  WORKING. 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CHURCH  AND  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL. 

THE  church  is  not  a  branch  of  the  Sunday  school, 
but  the  Sunday  school  is  a  branch  of  the  church. 
It  makes  a  great  difference  whether  we  start  with  right 
ideas  with  regard  to  this  matter  or  with  ideas  which 
are  wrong.  There  are  Sunday  schools  in  the  land 
where  officers  and  teachers  act  as  though  they  were 
entirely  independent  of  the  church.  In  this  they  make 
a  great  mistake. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  churches  who  treat  their 
Sunday  schools  as  no  man  would  treat  his  own  child. 
They  allow  the  Sunday  school  teachers  to  raise  the 
money  for  the  current  expenses  of  the  school.  They 
do  not  supply  the  needs  of  the  school  with  regard  to 
music  books,  lesson  helps,  library  books,  or  any  other 
of  those  needful  paraphernalia  of  Sunday  school  work, 
and  yet  these  churches  expect  the  Sunday  school  to  be 
subservient  to  the  church  officers.  Not  unnaturally 
the  Sunday  school  workers  feel  that  if  they  raise  the 
"  sinews  of  war,"  they  are  able  to  direct  with  regard 
to  their  expenditure,  unassisted  by  church  elders  or 
deacons. 


8  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  every  church  ought  to  provide 
for  all  the  wants  of  its  Sunday  school  with  liberal 
hand.  From  the  ranks  of  Sunday  school  scholars,  the 
future  membership  of  the  church  must  largely  come. 
Whether  that  membership  is  to  be  intelligent  and  well 
instructed  in  the  Bible  or  not  depends  upon  the  work  of 
the  present  generation  of  Sunday  school  teachers. 
These  teachers  ought  therefore  to  be  reinforced  by 
every  facility  at  our  command,  and  it  is  the  duty,  as 
well  as  the  privilege  of  the  church  to  provide  all  these 
means  of  education. 

If  the  church  takes  this  attitude  with  regard  to  its 
school,  it  may  be  very  sure  that  the  school  will  look 
to  it  as  its  rightful  guiding  authority.  There  will  be 
no  conflict  between  teachers  and  elders,  and  no  feel- 
ings of  jealousy  will  arise. 

The  church  has  a  perfect  right  to  say  who  shall 
superintend  its  own  school,  and  though  it  may  not 
elect  the  superintendent  and  his  assistant  officers,  it 
ought  to  have  the  power  of  nomination,  or  at  least  of 
veto. 

The  pastor  of  the  church  is  (or  at  least  should  be) 
pastor  of  the  Sunday  school  as  well.  It  is  a  fatal 
mistake  if  his  face  is  unfamiliar  in  the  school,  and  his 
voice  rarely  heard.  Few  Sundays  in  the  year  should 
pass  without  his  presence  to  cheer  the  heart  of  the 
teacher,  and  arouse  the  conscience  of  the  scholar. 
That  pastor  whose  school  is  loyal  to  him  will  find  that 
from  the  ranks  of  the  school  he  gets  his  verv  best 
workers. 


THE  CHURCH  AND  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL.       9 

In  case  of  mission  schools,  where  there  is  no  church 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  to  lean  back  upon,  the  school 
may  be  autonomous  or  self-governing,  but  just  as  soon 
as  in  such  a  case  a  church  is  formed  out  of  converts 
of  that  school,  the  church  ought  to  assume  its  rightful 
position  of  authority.  It  will  not  be  a  hindrance  to  the 
school,  but  a  help  to  have  this  take  place. 


CHAPTER  11. 

THE    PASTOR    IN    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL. 

IN  THE  First  Place,  the  pastor  must  be  a  thorough 
beHever  in  Sunday-school  work.  I  remember  well 
going  to  make  an  address  at  a  Sunday-school  conven- 
tion held  in  the  church  of  the  most  prominent  pastor  of 
the  town.  Before  going  into  the  pulpit,  this  pastor  took 
me  aside  and  in  a  most  solemn  way  seated  me  in  a  chair, 
and,  taking  another  chair,  sat  in  front  of  me.  He  then 
said,  **I  believe  that  the  Sunday  school  is  doing  more 
to  make  infidels  than  any  other  organization  in  exist- 
ence." I  looked  at  the  man  in  blank  amazement,  for 
it  seemed  to  me  that  I  must  be  dreaming.  The  idea 
that  in  this  age  any  intelligent  man  could  give  utterance 
to  such  a  sentiment  seemed  preposterous.  How  such  a 
man  could  expect  to  be  a  helpful  pastor  of  a  Sunday 
school  surpasses  my  comprehension.  Of  course  this 
case  is  exceptional,  though  there  are  many  ministers 
whose  idea  of  the  efficiency  of  the  Sunday  school  is  so 
low  that  they  look  upon  it  as  an  entirely  secondary  mat- 
ter. The  pastor  should  not  only  believe  in  the  Sunday- 
school  work  generically,  but  specifically.  His  faith 
must  be  of  the  kind  spoken  of  by  James,  which  is  per- 
fected only  by  works.  That  pastor  whose  faith  in  Sun- 
day-school   work   is    not    strong   enough    to   take    him 


THE    PASTOR    IiN    THK    SUISDAV    SCHOOL.  II 

frequently  into    his  own  school  will  never  accomplish 
very  much. 

The  Pastor  Must  of  Necessity  Love  children  and 
young  people.  I  regret  to  say  that  there  are  some  men 
who  live  so  much  in  lofty  philosophical  realms  that  the 
ways,  and  wants,  and  vagaries  of  children  fail  to  inter- 
est them.  They  are  ill  at  ease  when  thrown  into  a 
crowd  of  young  people,  and  neither  know  how  to  amuse 
them  nor  be  amused  by  them.  Such  a  man  will  have 
but  little  influence  in  the  Sunday  school  of  the  church 
over  which  he  is  placed.  He  who  does  not  love  young 
people  cannot  be  drawn  by  five  yoke  of  oxen  to  gather 
with  them  and  enter  into  their  sympathies,  and  minister 
to  their  manifold  wants.  Indeed,  I  think  that  a  man 
who  does  not  love  children  never  ought  to  go  into  the 
ministry.  One  of  the  sweetest  characteristics  of  the  re- 
nowned Phillips  Brooks  was  his  childlike  spirit,  and  his 
keen  sympathy  with  the  boundless  enthusiasm  of  child- 
hood. I  have  an  impression  that  all  truly  great  men 
love  little  children. 

The  Pastor  Should  Realize  that  the  Sunday  school 
of  to-day  is  the  church  of  to-morrow.  Where  are  we  to 
secure  our  future  church  members  if  not  out  of  the 
ranks  of  the  children?  More  and  more,  educators  are 
coming  to  understand  that  in  childhood  are  all  the 
hopes  of  humanity.  If  this  be  so  in  things  secular, 
how  much  truer  is  it  in  things  spiritual  I  In  childhood, 
heaven  lies  around  us,  and  only  when  we  reach  maturer 


12  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

years  does  it  seem  to  fade  away.  If  a  pastor  realizes 
that  these  boys  in  front  of  him  in  the  primary  class  are 
one  day  to  "be  elders,  deacons,  ministers,  and  that  these 
Httle  girls  are  to  be  mothers  and  teachers,  he  will  then 
begin  to  understand  the  superlative  importance  of  work 
among  the  young.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  larger  part 
of  our  church  membership  of  to-day  has  been  drawn  from 
the  Sunday  school  of  yesterday.  And  what  has  been 
true  in  the  past   is   bound  to  be  true  again  in  the  future. 

The  Pastor  Should  also  Realize  his  personal  re- 
sponsibility for  the  welfare  of  the  school.  Whether  he 
feel  it  or  not,  it  lies  at  his  door.  In  the  last  analysis  he 
must  be  the  motive  power  in  the  school  of  his  church. 
Some  pastors  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have  competent 
leaders  for  every  department  of  Sunday-school  work 
ready  to  their  hand.  Some  college  graduate  is  ready 
to  act  as  superintendent,  and  public  school  teachers  may 
be  found  to  handle  Sunday-school  classes.  These  pas- 
tors are  to  be  congratulated.  The  majority,  however, 
are  not  so  fortunate.  They  find  the  superintendent  a 
man  of  good  impulses,  but  poor  preparation  for  the 
work.  They  find  a  corps  of  fairly  consecrated,  but  not 
thoroughly  competent  teachers.  What  shall  such  pas- 
tors do?  Their  very  first  step  must  be  to  realize  that  it 
is  their  duty  to  remedy  the  state  of  affairs,  and  to  in- 
troduce one  reform  after  another  in  as  rapid  succession 
as  their  schools  will  stand  it. 

To  do  this  the  pastor  need  not  be  actually  superintend- 
ent, but  he   must  be   the  power  behind  the  throne,   so 


THE    PASTOR    IN    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  13 

shaping  things  as  to  bring   them,  as  far  as  possible,  up 
to  his  ideal  standard. 

In  Order  to  do  This,  the  ideas  of  the  pastor  him- 
self must  be  thoroughly  clear.  He  must  know  what  he 
wants  to  accomplish,  and  at  the  same  time  must  famil- 
iarize himself  with  the  means  by  which  his  ideal  is  to 
be  reached.  Our  theological  seminaries  give  men  a 
most  inadequate  training  in  this  respect.  Indeed,  some 
of  them  give  no  training  at  all.  They  work  away  like 
beavers  on  the  dry  bones  of  ancient  church  history,  and 
fail  to  make  their  students  understand  that  to  create  new 
church  history  is  of  more  importance  than  to  understand 
old. 

The  Pastor,  Therefore,  who  would  have  a  good 
Sunday  school  must  read  up,  he  must  find  out  what  the 
best  schools  are  doing,  and  familiarize  himself  with  the 
methods  of  successful  workers.  He  must  understand, 
at  least,  the  first  principles  of  pedagogy,  so  that  he  may 
grasp  the  lines  along  which  all  his  efforts  must  run  in 
order  to  be  successful.  If  the  leader  does  not  know 
whither  to  lead,  how  shall  the  follower  be  profited?  I 
commend  very  strongly,  therefore,  to  all  pastors  who 
want  to  be  "  Workmen  who  need  not  to  be  ashamed," 
to  familiarize  themselves  most  thoroughh^  with  every 
detail  of  Sunday-school  work.  Judging  by  my  own 
experience,  this  is  a  far  more  complicated  line  of  study 
than  that  of  the  mere  preparation  of  sermons,  to  which 
most  ministers  give  so  much  time. 


H 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


Supposing,  Now,  that  a  Pastor  Finds  his  superin- 
tendent willing  but  incompetent,  what  shall  he  do  ? 
Generally,  it  would  be  unsafe  to  set  the  man  aside,  and 
often  if  he  were  set  aside,  there  is  no  better  man  avail- 
able to  take  his  place.  The  only  thing,  therefore,  to 
be  done  is  to  fit  the  present  incumbent  for  better  work. 
This  can  be  done  by  frequent  conferences  between  the 
pastor  and  his  superintendent.  They  can  then  talk 
matters  over,  and  the  minister  can  impart  to  his  co- 
worker the  ideas  which  he  himself  has  gained  from 
study  and  attendance  at  any  of  the  summer  schools  for 
Sunday-school  workers.  The  pastor  can  also  commend 
to  his  superintendent  such  literature  as  he  has  found 
helpful  to  himself,  either  giving  him  the  books  or 
lending  them  to  him.  By  his  own  personal  enthusiasm 
he  can  arouse  that  of  the  superintendent,  who  then  feels 
that  he  and  his  pastor  are,  in  the  truest  sense  of  the 
word,  colaborers.  Many  a  superintendent  has  felt 
discouraged  because  he  found  his  pastor  took  no  vital 
interest  in  his  work,  but  left  him  to  *' paddle  his  own 
canoe  "  as  best  he  could.  The  result  has  been  that  the 
superintendent  has  gone  to  his  work  poorly  prepared 
and  languid  in  interest. 

What  the  Pastor  Does  for  the  Superintendent 
he  ought  proportionately  do  for  his  teachers.  In  reality 
his  teachers  are  probably  the  most  devoted  workers  he 
has  in  his  church.  Willing  to  do  whatever  they  can, 
they  find  themselves  hampered  by  lack  of  preparation 
for  their  work.     If  the  superintendent  is  not  the  proper 


THE    PASTOR    IN    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  I5 

man  to  instruct  his  teachers,  the  pastor  must  do  this 
for  him.  Here  comes  in  that  oft-recurring  question 
of  the  teachers'  meeting.  Every  minister  ought  to 
be  able  to  conduct  a  successful  teachers'  meeting. 
Here  he  becomes  acquainted  with  his  workers,  finds 
out  their  deficiencies  and  excellencies,  and  meets  their 
wants  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Here,  also,  they 
learn  to  know  their  leader,  to  love  him,  and  trust  him 
as  they  can  in  no  other  way.  Here  in  the  teachers' 
meeting  the  most  spiritual  workers  unite  their  hearts  in 
fervent  prayer  for  the  conversion  or  for  the  spiritual 
culture  of  their  scholars,  or  for  God's  blessing  on  the 
families  represented  in  the  school.  Nothing,  yes,  I  say 
nothings  can  take  the  place  of  a  teachers'  meeting, 
and  in  no  other  meeting  can  the  pastor  so  multiply  him- 
self in  the  spiritual  dynamics  as  here.  An  evening  spent 
regularly  with  the  teachers  is  far  more  fruitful  than  the 
same  time  spent  in  visiting  among  the  people. 

To  Do  THE  Very  Best  Work  among  His  Teach- 
ers, the  pastor  should  visit  them  in  their  homes  fre- 
quently. The  influence  that  they  exert  is  greater  than 
that  of  the  average  church  member,  for  they  come  in 
close  contact  with  several  persons  each,  in  their  classes. 
If,  then,  the  spiritual  life  of  the  teacher  be  low,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  that  of  the  class  cannot  well  be  high.  It  will 
not  require  much  knowledge  of  his  school  to  enable  the 
pastor  to  find  out  who  are  his  least  spiritual  teachers. 
As  soon  as  he  knows  this,  his  privilege  will  be  to  visit 
thcni^  and  try  to  deepen   their  inner  life.      In  this  way, 


1 6  ^^^\YS  of  working. 

he  will  reach  not  them  only,  but  those  to  whom  they  are 
ministering  in  the  school.  I  have  seen  most  encourag- 
ing results  to  flow  from  visiting  of  this  kind.  Too 
many  pastors  do  much  desultory  visiting,  from  which 
little  good  results.  Better  spend  your  time  in  specific 
visits,  such  as  are  suggested  above,  for  you  will  get 
much  more  fruitage  from  them  than  from  pastoral  visits 
of  the  ordinary  kind. 

Every  Pastor  Ought  to  Visit  his  school  frequently. 
By  this  I  do  not  mean  rushing  into  the  school  just 
before  its  close,  and  rushing  out  again,  nor  do  I  mean 
such  a  visit  as  serves  to  raise  a  disturbance.  I  remem- 
ber well,  in  a  school  in  Boston,  seeing  the  pastor  come 
into  the  school  and  pass  from  class  to  class,  shaking 
hands  with  the  teachers  and  with  some  of  the  scholars, 
and  inquiring  as  to  the  health  of  various  relatives  who 
had  been  sick.  In  this  way  he  simply  broke  up,  one 
after  the  other,  the  work  of  each  class  and  ruined  the 
effect  of  that  day's  session.  I  suppose  he  thought  he 
was  showing  proper  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  school, 
and  in  his  ignorance  felt  he  was  doing  good.  What 
would  that  pastor  have  said,  if,  while  he  was  preaching, 
one  of  his  elders  had  been  charging  up  and  down  the 
aisle,  shaking  hands  with  A,  B,  and  C,  and  inquiring 
as  to  whether  relatives  had  got  well  of  small-pox, 
diphtheria,  or  some  other  disease  ?  What  I  mean  by  the 
pastor  visiting  his  school  is  that  he  should  go  in,  con- 
forming to  the  regulations  of  the  school,  cooperating 
with  instead  of  interfering  with  the  work  of  the  teachers. 


THE    PASTOR    IX    TIIi:    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  1 7 

By  these  visits  it  would  be   made  clear  that  the  pastor 
was  the  pastor  of  the  school  as  well  as  of  t!ie  church. 

The  Right  Kind  of  a  Pastor  will  see  to  it  that 
the  ranks  of  the  teachers  are  kept  filled.  Every  super- 
intendent has  difficulties  along  this  line.  Church  mem- 
bers w^ill  not  respond  to  the  call  of  the  superintendent 
as  they  will  to  that  of  the  pastor.  The  minister  wdio 
keeps  watch  of  his  church  membership,  and  who  picks 
out  available  material  for  teaching  force,  will  be  a  tre- 
mendous help  to  his  superintendent  along  a  line  where 
all  superintendents  need  aid. 

Since  the  Worship  of  God  in  Song  is  so  impor- 
tant a  part  in  Sunday-school  work,  the  pastor  w^ill  see 
to  it  that  the  singing  in  his  school  is  not  harmful,  but 
helpful.  He  will  watch  the  character  of  hymns  and 
tunes  used,  and  use  his  utmost  influence  to  secure  the 
best  in  this  line. 

Nor  Will  the  Wide-awake  Sunday-school  Pas- 
tor forget  the  library.  He  will  see  to  it  that  the  books 
which  come  in  are  suited  to  the  wants  of  his  scholars. 
He  will  know  the  contents  of  that  library  intelligently, 
so  that  he  can  sometimes  refer  to  the  books,  which  the 
scholars  are  reading,  in  his  sermons.  In  this  w^ay  he 
would  gain  additional  influence  in  his  school. 

If  the  School  be  not  too  Large,  the  pastor 
ought  to  know^  every  scholar  in   his   home.      Of  course 


1 8  WAYS    OF   WORKING. 

in  a  school  of  one  or  two  thousand  pupils  this  may  not 
be  possible,  but  in  a  school  anywhere  below  five  hun- 
dred strong  it  is  perfectly  possible.  That  is  a  privi- 
leged man  who  has  five  hundred  young  people  with 
whose  home  surroundings  he  is  perfectly  well  acquainted, 
and  who  love  to  welcome  him  as  he  comes  into  their 
houses. 

If,  However,  the  School  be  too  Large  to  permit 
of  this,  at  least  let  the  pastor  know  his  church-member 
scholars  intimately.  They  are  in  the  formative  period 
of  their  lives,  and  if  properly  cared  for  now  and  nur- 
tured, will  make  splendid  workers  in  the  years  to  come. 
For  this  reason  he  should  know  them  intimately,  and 
help  them  to  guard  against  those  temptations  to  which 
the  young  is  exposed. 

I  Know  a  Good  Pastor  Who  Found  one  little 
device  most  helpful  to  him.  From  time  to  time  he  sent 
to  each  teacher  a  blank  properly  filled  out,  which  read 
as  follows :  — 

'*  The  following  scholars  in  your  class  are  members 
of  this  church."  Then  came  the  names  of  the  scholars 
who  were  church  members.  "  Please  watch  over  them 
with  peculiar  care,  and  as  soon  as  you  see  anything 
calling  for  my  pastoral  aid,  let  me  know  promptly." 
Hardly  a  week  passed  in  that  school  without  some 
teacher  calling  his  attention  to  the  needs  of  some  little 
church  member.     In  this    way  he   was   kept  in   active 


THE    PASTOR    IN    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  19 

touch  with  all  the  believers  in  his  Sunday  school.  Any 
minister  who  adopts  a  course  like  this  will  find  that  his 
teachers  are  to  him  like  nerves  to  the  body,  conveying 
instantly  such  information  as  is  vital  to  the  welfare  of 
the  scholar.  Many  a  backsliding  boy  can  be  reclaimed 
in  this  way  before  he  has  gone  too  far,  and  many  a  dis- 
couraged child  enheartened  by  prompt  attention. 

Of  Course,  All  This  Entails  Much  Work  upon 
the  pastor,  but  I  bear  witness  that  it  pays  a  thousand- 
fold in  the  fruitage  which  the  long  run  of  years  will 
bring  into  the  garner  of  the  church.  Let  any  pastor 
try  it  honestly  for  five  years,  and  he  will  bear  exactly 
the  same  witness. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    SUPERINTENDENT. 

IN  speaking  of  the  officers  of  the  Sunday  school,  of 
course  the  superintendent  must  be  placed  first.  No 
one  person  can  so  strongly  influence  a  school  for  weal 
or  woe  as  he.  Many  fail  to  realize  this,  and  the  result 
is  unfortunate  for  their  schools.  Now,  I  would  like  to 
draw  the  picture  of  some  superintendents  whom  I  have 
met,  and  ask  you  to  consider  them  carefully. 

The  Easy-Going  Superintendent.  —  Care  sits 
lightly  on  this  brother.  He  never  lies  awake  half  the 
night  thinking  of  some  way  in  which  his  school  can  be 
made  better.  It  is  already  good  enough  for  him,  so 
he  lets  well  enough  alone.  This  man  comes  to  the 
school  in  time,  as  a  rule,  but  he  is  not  much  put  out  if 
he  is  a  moment  or  two  late. 

When  he  does  come,  even  if  it  is  time  for  the  ser- 
vices to  commence,  he  stops  near  the  door  and  has  a 
chat  with  some  teacher  who,  like  himself,  is  not  any 
too  prompt.  Then  he  wends  his  way  to  the  platform, 
and  rings  the  bell  for  order.  While  the  classes  are 
coming  to  order  he  is  turning  over  the  leaves  of  the 
hymn-book  to  find  some  appropriate  hymn  with  which 
to  begin.     Of  course  the  scholars  have  to  wait  for  him, 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  21 

and  the  chances  are  two  to  one  that  the  hymn  that  he 
selects  is  not  the  best  one  in  the  book  for  that  day's  les- 
son. But  that  does  not  disturb  him,  for  it  is  not  a  serious 
matter,  after  all. 

Having  thus  set  the  keynote  of  easy-going  ways,  he 
carries  the  same  all  through  the  school  exercises,  and 
closes  with  about  as  much  vim  as  he  began.  No  plan, 
no  method,  no  variety  ever  characterizes  him  on  the 
platform.  The  school  drawls  along  this  year  just  about 
as  it  did  last  year,  neither  growing  nor  falling  off,  and 
to  his  mind  all  is  serene. 

The  Fault-Finding  Superintendent. —  If  the  first 
brother  had  too  much  sugar  in  his  composition,  this  one 
has  too  much  lemon.  Scolding  seems  natural  to  him, 
and  one  cannot  help  pitying  his  wife  and  children.  As 
soon  as  the  hymn  is  given  out  and  one  verse  has  been 
sung,  he  stops  the  pianist  and  scolds  the  school  for  not 
singing  better.  The  result  is  never  favorable,  but  that 
makes  no  difference  to  him  ;  he  scolds  on  just  the  same. 
If  any  of  the  classes  strikes  him  as  unusually  unruly, 
he  will  call  attention  to  that  class,  and  scold  them  for 
their  behavior. 

When  he  gives  out  the  notice  for  the  teachers'  meet- 
ing he  will  scold  them  for  not  attending  better,  thinking 
that  in  this  way  he  will  win  them  to  a  better  observance 
of  their  duty.  If  there  has  been  an  unusual  number  of 
scholars  tardy,  he  will  make  mention  of  that  in  a  kind 
of  "lemon  squeezer "  way,  that  has  no  effect  on  any 
one,  unless  it  be  to  disgust  them  with  him  and  his  ways. 


22  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

I  do  not  say  that  he  will  scold  at  all  these  delinquents 
on  the  same  day,  but  that  in  the  course  of  a  month 
nearly  every  one  but  himself  will  come  in  for  some 
measure  of  public  blame.  If  only  this  brother  would 
some  time  give  the  teachers  a  chance  to  turn  the  tables 
on  him,  he  would  soon  see  how  useless  all  this  scolding 
from  the  platform  is.  To  all  such  superintendents  I 
would  say,  *'  Is  not  an  ounce  of  praise  better  than  a 
pound  of  blame  ?  " 

The  Talkative  Superintendent.  —  He  is  a  good- 
natured  kind  of  a  man,  whom  nature  has  afflicted  with 
the  gift  of  speech.  This  gift  he  thinks  it  his  duty  to 
exercise,  for  is  it  not  his  talent?  So  he  begins  with 
exhorting  all  to  sing  every  time  a  hymn  is  given  out. 
Then  he  makes  a  *' brief "  introduction  to  the  reading 
of  the  lesson  by  the  school,  and  perhaps  even  comments 
on  the  verses  as  they  are  read.  In  giving  out  the 
notices,  he  dilates  on  them  and  repeats  them  ad  nau- 
seam, I  heard  him  once  give  the  notices  for  the  annual 
picnic  of  the  school  as  follows  :  — 

**  Our  annual  picnic  will  take  place  on  Wednesday  of 

next  week,  and  will  be  held  at Park.     You  can 

get   there   by  the   horse-cars   or  by  the  railway. 

Remember  that  the  date  is  next  week  Wednesday. 
Those  scholars ,  who  have  baskets  that  they  want  to 
have  taken  to  the  park  can  be  accommodated  if  they 
will  bring  them  to  the  chapel  on  Wednesday  at  eight 
in  the  morning.  Don't  forget,  —  eight  o'clock  sharp. 
And  you  can  go   by  horse-car   or   steam-car,   as  you 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  23 

please.  Bring  all  your  friends.  Tickets  are  only 
twenty-five  cents  apiece,  and  we  want  all  to  go  on  next 
Wednesday  at  eight  o'clock  sharp,  and  if  you  want, 
you  can  leave  your  baskets  here,  and  they  will  be  cared 
for." 

This  is  enough  to  show  how  this  one  did  it.  In 
reality  he  was  longer  than  I  have  indicated  above,  and 
all  the  school  was  wearied  out  with  his  ceaseless  flow 
of  language. 

But  the  Gibraltar  of  the  talkative  superintendent  is 
the  review.  In  this  he  comes  out  strong,  and  his  school 
always  comes  out  weak.  When  it  comes  to  the  practi- 
cal applications  of  the  lesson,  he  gets  to  sermonizing ; 
and,  though  the  teachers  see  a  good  many  places  where 
he  could  very  well  stop,  he  does  not  seem  to  see  them 
himself,  but  spins  things  out  so  that  one  is  reminded  of 
the  poet's  words,  *'Men  may  come,  and  men  may  go, 
but  you  go  on  forever." 

The  Softly  Superintendent.  —  He  has  nothing 
very  positive  about  him.  In  fact,  his  whole  manner 
seems  apologetic.  He  has  no  confidence  in  himself, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  no  one  else  has  any  confidence 
in  him.  When  he  mounts  the  platform  the  school  is 
hardly  aware  that  he  is  there.  The  bell  is  feebly  rung, 
and  the  hymn  so  softly  announced  that  not  one  third  of 
the  school  can  hear  what  the  number  is.  The  exercises 
are  gone  through  with  in  a  gentle  way  that  savors  more 
of  weakness  than  of  force,  and  the  whole  school  feels 
much  as  a  man  might  whose  backbone  was  suddenly 


24  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

withdrawn.  If  disorder  arises,  he  remonstrates  in  a 
softly  tone  of  voice,  which  of  course  has  no  effect  u.i 
the  rebels.  He  prays  in  such  a  tone  of  voice  that  you 
cannot  hear  what  he  is  saying,  and  hardly  know  when 
he  has  said  "Amen."  Scholars  have  to  guess  at  the 
nodces  that  he  whispers,  for  there  is  no  ring  in  his  voice. 
Bless  this  dear  brother,  how  ever  did  he  get  the  office 
that  he  holds?  Better  put  a  manly  woman  into  the  place 
than  a  womanly  man  like  him.  We  hope  that  we  may 
soon  be  able  to  say,  "  Peace  be  to  his  memory." 

The  Self-Conceited  Superintendent.  —  He 
stands  at  the  opposite  extreme  from  the  brother  just 
mentioned.  He  knows  more  than  seven  men  that  can 
render  a  reason.  He  will  never  see  this  criticism, 
because  he  does  not  need  helps  or  hints  as  to  the  man- 
agement of  his  school.  He  knows  it  all  already.  No 
one  can  start  a  new  idea  in  this  school  but  what  he 
magisterially  snubs  it,  since  it  has  not  emanated  from 
his  brain.  He  frowns  upon  every  reform  that  he  has 
not  started,  and  he  starts  but  few.  He  is  always  telling 
*'how  they  do  things  in  our  school,"  but  never  asks 
how  they  do  them  in  other  schools.  Positive,  narrow- 
minded,  obstinate,  vehement,  this  man  will  do  better 
than  the  softly  leader,  but  his  school  will  never  strike 
twelve.     Five  or  six  is  as  high  as  it  will  ever  get. 

Now  Look  at  the  Helpful  Superintendent. — 
He  never  thinks  that  his  duties  are  faithfully  discharged 
when  he  has  merely  opened  the  school  and  closed  it. 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  25 

He  realizes  that  almost  any  one  with  a  clear  head  can 
do  that.  To  pick  out  hymns,  to  offer  a  prayer,  and  tc 
attend  to  the  arrangement  of  classes  without  teachers, — 
this  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  duties  of  the  office.  There 
are  other  things  that  are  equally  helpful  in  the  efficient 
management  of  the  school.      For  example  :  — 

1.  A  Cheerful  Disposition  is  a  great  help  to  the 
teacher.  The  whole  school  will  feel  at  once  the  in- 
fluence of  a  bright,  hopeful  face  turned  toward  it  from 
the  platform.  On  dreadfully  stormy  days  in  winter,  or 
hot  afternoons  in  summer,  when  every  one  is  conscious 
of  a  sense  of  discomfort,  new  life  may  be  infused  into 
scholar  and  teacher  by  a  few  hearty  words  from  the 
platform.  To  hear  the  superintendent  say,  '*  I  am  glad 
to  see  so  many  here  to-day,  in  spite  of  the  weather. 
Those  who  are  here  must  be  very  much  in  earnest,  and 
therefore  I  am  sure  that  we  shall  have  a  good  lesson," 
—  I  say,  to  hear  such  words  at  the  opening  of  the 
school  acts  like  a  tonic  on  all  present.  They  brace 
right  up  for  their  w^ork. 

2.  A  WiDE-Aw^AKE  Superintendent  is  a  great 
help  to  the  teacher.  Most  teachers  have  neither  the 
time  nor  the  ability  to  secure  for  themselves  the  best 
lesson  helps.  If  they  begin  to  examine  the  multitude 
of  monthlies  and  quarterlies,  they  are  apt  to  become 
confused.  A  wide-awake  leader  will  help  them  greatlv 
in  this  respect,  and  will  do  much  of  this  work  for  them. 
He  will   also  be   constantly   on  the  alert  for   new  and 


26  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

approved  methods  of  working  the  library,  of  keeping 
the  class  records,  or  of  collecting  the  weekly  offerings 
for  the  Lord's  treasury.  Of  course  he  will  not  discard 
any  system  because  it  is  old,  or  adopt  any  one  because  it 
is  new.  At  the  same  time  he  will  not  be  afraid  of  new 
ideas,  but  will  willingly  adopt  them,  if  they  come  suffi- 
ciently accredited. 

3.  A  Readiness  to  Take  Suggestions  is  a  very 
helpful  trait  of  character.  Some  men  never  smile  on 
any  plan  unless  it  be  a  child  of  their  own  brain.  Such 
men  are  apt  to  be  childless.  Under  such  a  leader  the 
teachers  for  a  time  present  their  suggestions  in  teachers' 
meetings  and  urge  their  adoption.  But  as  months  and 
years  roll  by,  and  they  never  find  their  suggestions 
heeded,  they  either  leave  the  school  or  else  grow  dis- 
couraged and  hold  their  peace.  There  are  superintend- 
ents who  are  keeping  their  schools  stationary  because 
they  will  neither  move  on  themselves  nor  allow  any  one 
else  to  go  ahead.  How  one  learns  to  abhor  them  ! 
Now,  no  one  man  is  as  wise  as  all  his  teachers  put 
together.  Sometimes  a  new  and  inexperienced  teacher 
has  a  new  and  good  idea.  His  very  newness  to  the 
school  may  give  him  a  vantage  ground,  for  he  has  not 
become  used  to  the  old  and  stupid  way  of  doing  things, 
and  therefore  naturally  rebels  against  it. 

4.  Indomitable  Perseverance  is  a  magnificent 
trait  of  character.  The  superintendent  should  never 
give  up  because  of  discouragements.      Of  course,  if  he 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  2^ 

is  the  man  for  the  otfice,  he  has  tried  to  have  a  teachers' 
meeting.  He  may  have  succeeded  or  he  may  have 
failed.  But  if  he  has  failed  once,  that  is  no  reason 
why  he  should  fail  again.  And  yet  the  easily  dis- 
couraged superintendent  is  apt  to  put  the  blame  on  the 
teachers,  or  else  upon  the  "peculiar  circumstances" 
which  surround  the  school.  Now,  it  may  be  well  at 
the  start  to  assure  such  an  one  that  there  are  no  *'  pecu- 
liarly "  discouraging  circumstances  in  any  school.  In 
the  city  it  is  hard  to  get  teachers  to  come  out,  because 
they  have  so  many  evening  engagements,  and  because 
many  ladies  object  to  going  out  alone.  In  the  country 
the  distances  are  often  great  and  the  roads  bad. 
Everywhere  there  are  difficulties.  But  no  difficulty 
should  be  so  great  as  to  hinder  the  maintenance  of 
a  teachers'  meeting.  It  took  Israel  forty  years  to 
go  a  six  weeks'  journey,  because  they  looked  at  the 
"  peculiar  difficulties  "  of  the  situation. 

Last  but  not  least,  personal  piety  is  a  very  helpful 
characteristic  of  a  good  superintendent.  Nothing  can 
atone  for  a  lack  of  this.  The  school  will  not  rise  higher 
than  its  superintendent  in  this  regard.  A  few  words 
here  may  be  helpful.  In  our  religious  lives  we  should 
be  very  careful  to  "take  up  the  little  foxes  that  spoil 
the  vines,  for  our  vines  have  tender  grapes."  Purity  of 
speech  should  be  cultivated.  An  evil  story  told  in  the 
store,  or  listened  to,  is  such  a  fox.  The  reading  of  the 
Sunday  newspapers  is  another  fox  that  spoils  many  a 
vine  which  otherwise  might  bear  tender  fruit.  Inces- 
sant joking  with  the  teachers  or  in  teachers'  meeting 


28  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

dampens  the  spiritual  life  greatly.  Not  that  due  cheer- 
fulness is  to  be  avoided,  or  a  laugh  to  be  frowned  upon. 
But  the  spirit  of  banter  and  joke  must  be  carefully 
guarded,  or  it  will  go  too  far.  All  these  may  be  little 
foxes,  but  remember  that  it  is  just  the  little  foxes  that 
spoil  the  vines. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT. CONTINUED. 

SO  important  is  this  office  that  we  must  give  to  it 
another  chapter,  giving  this  time  some  positive 
suggestions,  which  we  hope  will  be  found  helpful.  A 
most  important  adjunct  to  the  work  of  this  officer  may 
be  found  in 

A  Superintendent's  Cabinet. — Just  as  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  has  a  Cabinet  to  assist  him 
and  advise  him  in  the  formation  of  his  plans,  so  the 
superintendent  of  a  school  should  have  a  small  body  of 
earnest  workers  around  him,  to  whom  he  looks  for 
advice  and  support.  No  man  can  plan  as  wisely  and 
work  as  effectively  alone  as  he  can  when  adequately 
supported.  Moses  with  Aaron  and  Hur  is  more  potent 
than  Moses  alone.  Now,  superintendents  are  apt  to  fall 
into  one  of  two  errors.  They  either  inaugurate  and  carry 
out  new  plans  without  the  hearty  co-operation  of  their 
teachers  and  officers,  or  they  broach  all  these  plans 
before  a  large  teachers'  meeting  before  they  have  been 
thoroughly  digested,  and  thus  excite  the  hostility  of 
some  of  those  present.  Either  course  makes  it  very 
difficult  to  carry  to  a  successful  issue  the  plans  pro- 
posed. 

29 


30 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


A  Middle  Path  is  the  best  one  to  pursue.  If  the 
superintendent  calls  the  officers  of  the  school  around 
him,  and  with  them  examines  in  detail  all  the  interests 
of  the  school,  he  and  they,  together,  will  soon  coincide 
as  to  the  best  method  of  procedure.  Such  examination 
and  discussion  cannot  in  the  first  instance  be  profitably 
carried  on  in  the  teachers'  meeting  for  the  following 
reasons : — 

(a)  It  takes  too  much  time.  HOURS  are  necessary, 
and  the  teachers  grow  restive  and  hasten  to  a  vote,  to 
the  detriment  of  the  matter  in  hand. 

(d)  If  the  plans  proposed  involve  any  radical  change, 
some  opposition  is  sure  to  be  aroused,  which  may  be 
fatal  to  the  scheme.  At  a  later  stage,  and  when  the 
matter  has  been  carefully  considered  by  a  smaller  num- 
ber of  minds,  it  can  be  presented  to  the  teachers  with  a 
much  better  chance  of  acceptance. 

(c)  Many  plans  which  a  superintendent  may  propose 
will  be  found  not  to  be  feasible.  In  an  officers'  meet- 
ing this  will  soon  be  ascertained,  and  the  plan  be  laid 
aside.  To  have  discussed  this  plan  in  the  teachers' 
meeting  would  have  been  a  great  waste  of  time. 

The  Direct  Advantages  of  a  monthly  cabinet 
meeting  are  many. 

(a)  It  unifies  the  officers  of  the  school.  They  learn 
to  act  as  a  body.  They  learn  to  lean  upon  and  support 
each  other. 

(/;)  It  stimulates  each  to  the  very  best  performance 
of  his  duty  ;  for  he  feels  that  he  has  the  sympathy  of 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  3I 

and  is  watched  by  his  fellow-workers.  If,  for  example, 
the  subject  under  discussion  has  been  the  best  method 
of  conducting  the  library,  and,  light  having  been  obtained 
from  various  sources,  a  definite  course  of  action  has 
been  marked  out,  the  librarians  cannot  help  feeling  the 
stimulus  of  this  co-operative  council. 

(c)  In  such  a  meeting  reports  from  other  successful 
schools  may  be  presented  and  then  discussed  at  length. 
In  this  way  the  best  METHODS  can  be  reached  and 
adopted. 

(d)  After  coming  to  a  rational  decision,  the  officers 
can  then  clearly  present  the  whole  question  to  the  teach- 
ers without  any  needless  and  impracticable  details,  and 
■piiU  together  for  the  adoption  of  their  -plans. 

But  How  Shall  Topics  for  discussion  be  found  and 
presented  to  the  cabinet  meeting?  What  are  the  defects 
in  your  school  that  call  for  a  remedy?  Here  lies  one 
of  the  difficulties  of  the  situation.  Many  a  superintend- 
ent knows  that  there  is  *' something"  the  matter  with 
his  school,  but  what  that  "something"  is  he  cannot 
tell.  And  until  he  finds  this  oat  all  his  efforts  to  make 
the  school  better  will  be  of  no  avail.  Now,  as  a  sug- 
gestion that  may  be  of  use,  I  offer  the  following  :  — 

Go  AND  Visit  Some  Good  School  ;  but  be  very 
sure  not  to  visit  as  some  people  do.  They  come  into  a 
popular  school,  sit  down,  and  listen  to  the  singing,  hear 
the  review,  and  go  out  again,  asking  no  questions,  tak- 
ing no  notes,  learning  practically  nothing.     The  super- 


32  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

inteiulent  who  visits  any  good  school  sliould  have  pencil 
and  paper  in  hand,  and  use  them  incessantly.  Every- 
thing praiseworthy,  every  new  feature,  every  unex- 
plained movement,  every  defect  should  be  carefully 
noted  down.  No  detail  noticed  should  be  too  insignifi- 
cant to  be  marked.  After  the  school  is  closed,  the 
visitor  should,  if  possible,  ask  for  an  interview  with  the 
superintendent,  or  with  some  to  whom  this  duty  is  dele- 
gated, and  ask  all  manner  of  questions  that  are  sug- 
gested by  the  notes  that  he  has  taken.  Let  him  not  fail 
to  inquire,  also,  whether  there  be  any  points  to  which 
he  has  not  alluded,  which  the  school  that  he  has  visited 
considers  important.  In  this  way  he  can  obtain  much 
assistance  and  will  ever  after  carry  the  impression  that  he 
has  there  gained  with  him.  (Now,  I  hear  some  super- 
intendent saying,  "  Oh,  I  can  never  leave  my  school !  " 
Oh,  yes,  you  can,  and  if  you  do  and  are  able  to  bring 
back  any  good  ideas,  your  absence  for  a  Sunday  will 
be  better  than  your  presence.) 

After  Having  Taken  the  Notes  above  alluded 
to,  let  the  superintendent  take  the  first  opportunity  to 
sit  down  and  ?nedttate.  Meditation  is  a  grand  thing, 
when  you  have  something  to  meditate  upon.  Let  him 
think  over  all  that  he  has  seen  and  heard,  and  begin  to 
apply,  in  imagination,  carefully  and  candidly,  all  these 
new  plans  to  his  own  school.  Not  all  of  them  will 
probably  be  applicable.  But  some  of  them  will  almost 
surely  be  useful.  If  any  superintendent  of  an  average 
school  visits  a  first-rate  school,  and  finds  no  ideas  with 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  33 

which  to  benefit  his  own  school,  that  man   is  unfit  for 
his  flace. 

As  A  Specimen  of  Such  Notes,  let  me  give  the 
following,  which  I  took  in  a  fair  school,  not  fifty  miles 
from  Boston. 

(<?)  "  Half  of  each  class  faces  away  from  the  plat- 
form during  the  devotional  exercises." 

This  could  be  remedied  by  opening  the  school  with 
all  the  seats  so  turned  as  to  face  the  platform.  This 
would  prevent  disorder,  arising  from  the  almost  neces- 
sary inattention  of  those  scholars  who  cannot  see  the 
superintendent. 

{h)  "  Not  enough  singing-books.  Some  boys'  classes 
have  none  at  all." 

The  remedy  is  simple.  Get  more  books.  Boys  will 
not  sing  without  books.  Scolding  here  will  do  no  good, 
till  you  have  done  your  duty  and  furnished  them 
books. 

(<:)  "  In  prayer,  many  scholars,  both  old  and  young, 
kept  gazing  around  the  room." 

This  is  a  common  and  great  evil  (especially  in  New 
England).  No  word  should  be  uttered  in  prayer  till  all 
are  reverently  bowed  so  as  to  be,  at  least,  in  prayerful 
attitude. 

i^d)  "  Superintendent  began  to  speak  before  perfect 
order  was  secured." 

This  is  bad,  and,  what  is  more,  needless.  Wait  till 
the  school  is  in  perfect  order,  and  then  begin.  One 
stroke  of  the  bell  is  enough  to  bring  the  school  to  order, 


34 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


and  if  that  does  not,  WAIT    QTJIETLY   TILL   THE 
SCHOOL   DOES    COME   TO  ORDER. 

(e)  "  One  small  boy  came  in  during  prayer,  and  dis- 
turbed his  whole  class." 

This  was  the  fault  of  the  superintendent,  who  should 
have  had  some  one  at  the  door  to  keep  it  closed  while 
the  school  was  praying. 

(y)  "The  lesson  of  the  day  was  not  read  by  the 
school  or  to  the  school." 

This  was  a  mistake,  as  the  lesson  should  always  be 
read  by  the  school  before  it  goes  into  class  exercise. 

These  were  some  of  the  notes  that  I  jotted  down  at 
the  time.  They  can  be  duplicated  in  many  schools  in 
Massachusetts,  but  the  superintendents  of  those  schools 
are  not  to  this  day  aware  of  the  difficulties  in  their  work. 
Let  them  begin  to  use  pencil  and  paper  in  this  way, 
and  they  will  soon  see,  as  they  have  never  done  before. 

Now  Let  the  Superintendent,  on  the  following 
Sunday,  examine  carefully  his  own  school.  Let  him 
do  with  that  as  he  did  with  the  school  that  he  visited 
the  previous  week,  and  let  him  write  down  carefully  all 
that  he  sees  that  should  be  remedied.  The  record  hav- 
ing been  made,  let  him  compare  it  with  that  of  the 
school  visited,  and  see  how  they  compare.  Not 
unlikely  he  will  find  some  of  the  same  faults  reappear- 
ing.    Let  him  make  a  note  of  them. 

Then  Let  Him  Call  His  Cabinet  together  and 
present  the  result  of  his  investigations.     Explain  about 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  35 

the  school  visited  and  its  good  and  bad  points.  Show 
the  defects  that  you  have  discovered  in  your  own  school 
and  ask  if  something  cannot  be  done  to  remedy  these 
defects.  Do  not  try  to  carry  out  too  many  reforms  at 
once.  Take  the  most  important  defect  first.  Then  let 
the  minor  ones  follow  in  due  time.  But  do  not  stop  in 
this  work  till  all  the  remedies  have  been  applied,  and  the 
school  in  this  way  has  been  lifted  to  a  higher  standard 
than  it  ever  occupied  before. 

This  Process  May  Have  to  be  Repeated  several 
times  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years,  but  at  last  the 
superintendent  will  learn  to  detect  deficiencies  in  his 
school  without  going  outside  of  his  own  walls.  In  the 
meantime  the  school  will  have  received  much  benefit 
from  all  the  care  taken  of  its  interests,  and  will  feel  the 
pulse  of  a  new  energy  beating  in  its  veins. 

So  much  for  the  superintendent  and  his  cabinet. 

Now  FOR  A  Few  Words  about  the  superintendent 
and  his  teachers.  He  ought  to  know  all  his  teachers 
in  their  homes.  To  do  this  is  not  a  difficult  matter, 
if  he  is  a  systematic  man.  For  two  or  three  calls  a 
week  will  enable  him  to  accomplish  this.  The  advant- 
age of  this  will  be  apparent  when  you  realize  that 
this  "home  calling"  will  give  him  the  much  needed 
opportunity  to  talk  with  each  teacher  about  the  specific 
work  that  he  is  doing  in  his  class,  and  to  find  out 
the  difficulties  that  the  teacher  encounters.  This  is  a 
great  gain  both  for   superintendent   and   teacher,    and 


36  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

brings  them  close  together  in  sympathy   for  their  schol- 
ars. 

Let  Him  Encourage  the  Teachers  to  bring  to 
him  their  criticisms  on  the  way  in  which  the  school  is 
conducted,  and  also  to  tell  him  of  their  trials  in  their 
class  work.  This  will  lead  them  to  consider  him  as  their 
personal  friend,  and  make  them  all  the  more  ready  to 
help  him  in  his  hard  work  of  superintending  the  various 
interests  of  the  school  as  a  whole.  He,  too,  can  speak 
of  his  hopes  and  fears,  and  of  his  difficulties  as  well, 
and  he  will  find  in  them  sympathetic  listeners.  In  this 
way  he  is  helped,  and  they  are  made  to  understand  a 
little  the  burdens  that  he  is  bearing. 

Let  Him  at  Times  Pray  with  his  teachers.  This 
may  not  always  be  wise,  but  many  times  it  will  be 
exceedingly  proper,  and  will  not  in  any  way  be  looked 
upon  by  the  teacher  as  a  usurpation  of  the  office  of  the 
pastor.  It  is  a  pity  if  teacher  and  superintendent  cannot 
thus  have  mutual  sympathy  and  confidence  in  each 
other.      It  is  a  source  of  very  great  strength. 

In  This  Way,  too,  the  superintendent  will  find  out 
the  weakness  of  the  individual  teacher,  and  be  able  to 
help  him  and  fit  him  to  bear  the  responsibility  that  rests 
upon  him.  The  fact  is  that  nothing  can  take  the  place 
of  this  home  acquaintance  of  superintendent  and  teacher. 

Ix  A  Large  School  of,  say,  eight  luindred  or  a 
thousand    scholars,    it    will     not    be    possible    for    the 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  37 

superintendent  to  know  personally  all  the  scholars, 
especially  if  he  has  a  mission  school,  in  which  changes 
among  the  scholars  are  rapid.  But  as  far  as  possible 
he  should  know  the  scholars  by  name.  This  is  es- 
pecially true  in  the  intermediate  and  senior  departments, 
for  in  this  way  he  can  exert  a  powerful  influence  on 
their  Christian  lives.  Every  superintendent  should  at 
all  events  know  all  the  scholars  w^ho  are  members  of 
the  church,  and  also  all  who  think  they  have  accepted 
the  Saviour.  These  should  be  his  especial  care,  for 
they  are  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  and  need  food  con- 
venient for  them.  For  lack  of  such  care  the  young 
believers  often  go  astray,  and  are  lost  lo  the  church 
and  to  the  side  of  the  truth.  Watch  for  conversions, 
but  watch  also  for  the  growth  of  those  w^ho  have  been 
converted. 

If  You  Have  Carefully  Read  all  that  has  been  said 
above,  it  may  be  that  your  idea  of  the  responsibility  of 
your  position  as  superintendent  has  grown  largely.  If 
this  is  so,  I  have  in  a  measure  accomplished  my  pur- 
pose in  wanting  as  I  have  done.  Too  many  superin- 
tendents fail  to  realize  what  an  important  oflice  they 
fill,  and  the  result  is  that  they  do  not  FILL  it  at  all. 
No  office  in  the  churchy  except  only  that  of  pastor,  is 
so  important.  That  of  deacon  or  elder,  as  found  in  the 
ordinary  church,  cannot  for  a  moment  be  compared 
with  it.  Magnify,  therefore,  your  ofiice,  and  remember 
that  office  is  given  for  the  sake,  not  of  its  honor,  but  of 
its  service. 


38  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

The  superintendent  is  the  servant  of  the  teachers  and 
scholars  over  whom  he  has  been  placed,  and  he,  of  all 
others,  should  subordinate  himself  to  their  welfare. 
**  Let  him  that  is  chief  among  you  be  as  he  that  doth 
serve  "  are  the  words  of  the  GREAT  SUPERINTEND- 
ENT of  us  all,  and  if  we  are  to  follow  his  footsteps 
this  is  the  direction  in  which  we  shall  tend.  For  this 
HE  will  give  grace,  if  we  ask  for  it,  and  in  this  he 
will  give  fruitage  if  we  obey  his  precepts. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT. CONTINUED. 

IN  the  last  chapter  I  gave  hints  to  superintendents 
about  planning  for  their  schools.  The  work 
mapped  out  pertained  mostly  to  trying  to  remedy 
defects  in  the  school,  by  consultation  with  what  I 
called  the  superintendent's  '' cabinet."  Now  I  propose 
to  suggest  some  things  that  every  superintendent  should 
aim  at  in  his  work.     The  first  of  these  is  :  — 

Come  Early  to  the  School.  My  idea  is  that  in 
a  large  school  the  superintendent  should  be  the  first 
one  in  the  school  after  the  doors  are  opened.  There 
are  many  advantages  in  this,  as,  for  example,  he  can 
then  see  at  a  glance  whether  the  room  is  in  the  order 
that  it  should  be  in.  Sextons  are  not  perfect,  and 
many  times  the  superintendent  will  find  that  the  room 
is  too  hot  or  too  cold,  and  can  remedy  the  difficulty  if 
he  is  on  hand  promptly.  It  makes  a  great  difference 
with  a  school  whether  these  things  are  carefully  at- 
tended to,  and,  though  the  teachers  and  scholars  will 
not  realize  how  well  they  are  cared  for  if  all  is  right, 
they  will  soon  find  out  if  all  is  not  right. 

Then,  too,  the  Superintendent  can  have  time  to 

39 


40 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


greet  his  teachers  as  they  arrive  one  by  one,  and  if 
they  know  that  he  will  be  on  hand  promptly  they  will 
be  much  more  likely  to  try  and  be  prompt  as  well.  A 
late  superintendent  makes  late  teachers  and  scholars. 
If  the  school  be  not  too  large,  the  superintendent  can 
greet  the  scholars,  too,  by  name,  and  he  will  find  that 
this  small  attention  gives  him  great  power  over  the 
affection  of  his  classes. 

But  it  is  not  Enough  for  him  to  be  on  hand  early. 
He  should  come  as  well  prepared  for  all  the  exercises 
of  the  school  as  possible.  All  that  can  be  foreseen  in 
the  way  of  details  should  have  been  cared  for  before 
he  left  his  home.  He  should,  for  example,  have  a 
complete  outline  of  his  order  of  devotional  services. 
(Never  call  these  "opening  exercises.")  The  hymns 
should  all  have  been  selected,  and  that,  too,  with  due 
attention  to  the  topic  of  the  lesson  for  the  day. 

If  he  desires  to  have  any  one  besides  himself  lead  in 
prayer,  he  should  have  fixed  on  the  one  whom  he 
intends  to  ask,  and  as  soon  as  that  teacher  or  officer 
arrives,  he  should  ask  him  to  be  ready  at  the  appointed 
time  to  lead  the  devotions  of  the  school.  No  one  should 
ever  be  asked  suddenly  to  lead  in  prayer,  for  we  need 
preparation  of  thought  for  this  part  of  the  service  as 
well  as  for  teaching  a  class. 

The  manner  of  conducting  the  platform  review  should 
have  been  settled  on  before  the  opening  of  the  school, 
so  that  it  need  not  troul')k'  the  mind  or  occupy  the 
lliouglits  of  the  leader   after   he   comes  within  the  walls 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  4I 

of  his  school.  All  notices  should  have  been  put  in 
order,  and  so  arranged  as  not  to  confuse  the  school 
when  they  are  given  out.  There  is  more  in  this  last 
suggestion  than  some  people  think.  I  have  heard  a  list 
of  notices  so  given  out  that  they  left  the  mind  in  a  con- 
fused state,  and  one  hardly  knew  what  had  been  said. 

Begin  Promptly.  I  was  once  in  a  school  where 
I  asked  the  secretary,  *'What  time  does  the  school 
open?"  '^  About  half-past  two,"  was  the  reply.  On 
waiting  to  see  what  "About  half-past  two "  meant,  I 
found  that  it  meant  a  quarter  to  three.  The  scholars 
knew  this,  too,  and  they  arrived  in  accordance  with 
their  estimate  of  what  "  About  half-past  two"  was.  If 
your  school  is  advertised  to  open  at  two,  then,  as  soon 
as  the  hour  comes,  BEGIN.  Let  the  doors  then  be 
closed,  and  the  school  brought  to  order.  Never  mind 
whether  there  be  two  hundred  present  or  only  two.  In 
this  way  you  will  inculcate  promptitude  on  the  part  of 
teachers  and  scholars.  In  no  other  way  can  you  do  it 
as  successfully. 

But,  After  You  Have  Called  the  School  to 
Order,  do  not  begin  the  service  till  perfect  quiet  reigns. 
Quiet  can  be  had  in  every  school,  if  you  will  only  wait 
for  it.  Calling  aloud,  ^''Please  come  to  o?'der,''  or 
repeated  ringing  of  the  bell,  will  avail  nothing  in  this 
case.  Wait  quietly  yourself,  and  in  due  time  the  school 
will  recognize  that  you  are  waiting  for  them,  and  they 
will  pay  attention  to  your  call. 


42 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


The  first  time  I  tried  this  in  a  school  where  they  had 
been  accustomed  to  liave  the  superintendent  ring  the 
bell  two  or  three  times,  and  then  call  for  order  with  his 
voice,  I  yN?i\\.t^  for  Jive  7nmtdes,  The  school  heard  the 
bell,  but  they  had  been  taught  that  the  first  bell  did  not 
really  mean  order,  but  that  it  was  preparatory  to  a 
second,  and  that  to  a  third  bell,  and  that  these  were 
preliminary  to  a  call,  and  then  it  was  time  enough  to 
come  to  order.  So  they  paid  no  attention  to  my  first 
bell,  waiting  for  a  second.  When  at  length  this  did 
not  sound,  and  time  passed,  they  all  at  once,  as  if  by  a 
magic  spell,  looked  to  see  why  the  second  and  third 
bells  were  not  sounded.  I  then  simply  said,  "  We  have 
lost  five  minutes  waiting  for  order.     Turn  to  Hymn  24." 

The  next  Sunday  they  came  to  order  much  more 
rapidly,  and  in  two  or  three  weeks'  time,  as  soon  as  the 
first  and  only  bell  struck,  the  whole  school  at  once  came 
to  order. 

Be  Lively  in  the  Conduct  of  all  exercises  of  the 
school.  The  major  part  of  your  scholars  are  young, 
and  they  like  to  have  things  "go."  If  the  leader  is 
dull  or  slow,  the  minds  of  the  children  will  outrun  the 
action  of  the  leader,  and  the  school  will  tend  to  be  dis- 
orderly. Even  the  older  ones  like  life  and  push,  and  if 
the  leader  is  quick  and  active,  they  will  feel  the  impulse 
of  his  enthusiasm  and  will  respond  to  it.  Therefore  be 
prompt  in  the  giving  out  of  the  hymns,  and  as  soon  as 
the  singing  is  done,  be  at  once  ready  to  go  on  with  the 
next  part  of  the  programme,  allowing  no  one  to  have 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  43 

any  time  to  think  anything  between  the  various  parts  of 
your  exercises.  There  is  nothing  like  this  wideawake- 
ness  on  the  part  of  the  leader,  to  give  tone  to  the  move- 
ments of  a  Sunday  school. 

Launch  the  Lesson  Well.  Many  superintendents 
will  not  know  what  is  meant  by  this  expression.  It 
means  to  so  present  the  lesson,  before  it  is  read  respon- 
sively  by  the  school,  that  they  shall  have  an  intelligent 
idea  of  what  they  are  about  to  read.  This  calls  often  for 
the  connection  between  last  Sunday's  lesson  and  that  for 
the  day.  Many  of  the  scholars  have  not  looked  this  up, 
and  therefore  have  no  intelligent  idea  of  the  relationship 
between  the  lessons.  If  this  is  given  by  the  superin- 
tendent before  the  lesson  is  read,  the  help  given  to  the 
school  will  be  great.  There  are  many  ways  in  which 
the  reading  of  the  lesson  may  be  made  more  profitable 
than  it  generally  is. 

For  example,  in  a  lesson  about  Joash,  w^ho  was  only 
seven  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  if,  before  the 
responsive  reading  of  the  lesson,  the  superintendent 
calls  up  to  the  platform  a  seven-year-old  scholar,  and 
asks  the  school  what  they  would  think  of  such  a  child 
being  President  of  the  United  States,  and  then  says, 
**  We  are  now  going  to  read  about  a  king  no  older  than 
this  child,"  all  the  school  will  read  with  more  of  interest 
the  story  for  the  day.  Do  you  see  now  what  I  mean  by 
'*  launching"  the  lesson?  Any  such  little  device  will 
help  the  whole  school,  and  add  freshness  to  the  whole 
study  of  the  Word  of  God. 


44  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

As  TO  THE  Notices,  it  makes  little  difference  where 
they  come  in.  But  wherever  they  do  come  in,  they 
should  he  clearly  given,  and  in  such  order  as  to  help 
the  memory  of  the  school.  They  need  not  be  repeated, 
for  if  we  get  ii.tj  the  habit  of  repeating  them,  the  school 
will  not  pay  attention  the  first  time.  Give  all  notices 
once,  and  clearly,  and  then  show  the  scholars  that  you 
expect  them  to  pay  attention,  and  to  remember  what  has 
been  said  from  the  platform. 

After  the  School  Has  Gone  into  Class  Exer- 
cise, some  one  should  keep  his  eye  on  the  school  all 
the  time.  This  is  especially  true  in  all  large  schools, 
particularly  if  they  are  mission  schools.  It  has  a  most 
wholesome  influence  on  teacher  and  scholar  to  feel  that 
a  responsible  person  is  all  the  time  on  the  lookout  for 
the  welfare  of  the  school.  If  there  is  any  danger  of 
unruliness  on  the  part  of  any  scholars,  it  is  in  this  way 
often  checked  before  it  has  gone  too  far.  Or,  if  a  good 
teacher  is  in  any  trouble  with  a  refractory  scholar,  the 
eye  of  the  superintendent  will  detect  the  difficulty,  and 
go  to  the  aid  of  the  teacher  at  once.  I  know  what  I  am 
speaking  about  in  this  regard,  as  I  have  frequently 
assisted  some  struggling  teacher  to  come  out  victorious, 
instead  of  leaving  her  to  battle  alone,  and  perhaps  be 
defeated. 

Visitors  Will  Come  to  any  large  school  that  has 
achieved  a  reputation.  These  persons  are  not  always 
agreeable,  but  they  have  rights,  and  should  be  properly 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT. 


45 


cared  for.  In  very  large  schools,  like  '*  Bethany"  in 
Philadelphia,  the  superintendent  cannot  see  them  all 
personally,  but  in  smaller  schools  this  is  perfectly  possi- 
ble. Then  he  should  do  it,  for  visitors  feel  the  courtesy 
of  the  effort,  and  are  grateful.  He  may  explain  to 
them  the  working  of  the  school,  and  what  he  considers 
its  strong  points,  so  that  they  may  go  away  with  a  clear 
understanding  of  what  the  aim  of  the  leaders  of  the 
school  is.  In  this  way  much  good  may  be  done  to 
those  who  are  really  anxious  to  know  how  to  improve 
their  own  schools. 

When  the  Time  for  Class  Teaching  has  come 
to  an  end,  let  the  school  be  called  to  order  as  promptly 
as  it  was  in  the  beginning.  In  all  school  work  this 
matter  of  promptitude  is  one  of  great  importance.  The 
teachers  should  be  trained  to  pay  attention  to  the  sum- 
mons from  the  platform  at  once,  and  close  their  lessons. 
But  as  they  cannot  do  this  at  a  moment's  notice,  there 
should  be  a  warning  bell,  to  show  that  in  five  minutes 
the  school  is  expected  to  be  ready  for  the  review.  Then, 
as  soon  as  the  second  bell  sounds,  there  should  be  imme- 
diate silence.  Some  may  say  that  to  gain  this  so  rapidly 
is  not  possible.  I  reply  it  is  possible,  for  I  have  seen  it 
done,  year  in  and  year  out,  in  a  mission  school.  It  only 
depends  on  the  determination  of  the  leader  as  to  whether 
he  shall  have  it  or  not.  Quiet  determination  will  accom- 
plish wonders  in  this  line,  and  the  result  will  be  that  all 
will  be  grateful  to  the  superintendent  for  having  gained 
such  discipline. 


46  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

The  Platform  Review  is  a  very  necessary  part  of 
the  school  exercise.  It  is  important,  because  there  are 
in  every  school  some  teachers  who  have  not  done  bv 
the  lesson  as  well  as  they  should  have  done,  and  in 
those  classes  the  scholars  have  not  had  as  good  a 
chance  with  the  lesson  as  they  should  have  had.  Then, 
in  all  classes  the  lesson  will  be  more  deeply  fixed  if  it 
is  reviewed.  Remember,  repetition  is  what  FIXES 
truth.  To  many  superintendents  the  platform  review 
is  a  bugbear,  and,  indeed,  in  the  way  in  which  it  is 
sometimes  conducted,  it  is  also  a  bugbear  to  the  school. 
There  are  a  few  principles  which  should  always  govern 
every  review. 

First,  it  should  be  SHORT.  I  say  SHORT.  If  this 
rule  is  rigidly  adhered  to,  it  will  never  be  stupid.  Ten 
minutes  is  TOO  LONG  for  most  men  to  review  the 
school  in.  Make  it  seven,  and  you  will  be  nearer  the 
mark.  Second,  it  should  be  by  question  and  answer. 
The  questions  should  be  plain,  and  such  as  can  be 
answered  by  single  words,  if  possible,  or  by  very  short 
sentences  at  the  most.  As  an  example,  take  a  lesson 
on  Lazarus.  Let  the  questions  be  such  as  the  follow- 
ing :  Where  did  Lazarus  live  ?  What  were  the  names 
of  his  two  sisters?  Which  of  the  sisters  lirst  went  to 
meet  Jesus?  Who  were  in  the  house  with  Mary? 
When  she  went  out,  what  did  her  friends  say?  Give 
the  shortest  verse  in  this  lesson.  Any  school  that  is  at 
all  accustomed  to  answer  will  give  the  proper  replies  to 
such  questions  as  these. 

But   if  you   ask   long   and  intricate   questions,  like, 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT.  47 

**  Why  did  Jesus  not  go  to  Bethany  as  soon  as  he  was 
called?"  you  will  not  get  good  replies,  and  the  effect 
on  the  school  will  be  to  discourage  them  from  trying  to 
answer.  When  you  come  to  the  practical  application 
of  the  most  important  truth  of  the  lesson,  let  that  be 
brief  and  to  the  point.  Then  let  some  one  lead  in 
prayer,  asking  that  the  school  may  have  the  grace 
to  practise  what  it  has  this  day  learned. 

Every  School  Should  Close  in  as  orderly  a  way 
as  that  in  which  it  opened. .  There  should  be  no  rush- 
ing out  pell-mell.  This  can  be  accomplished  as  easily 
as  can  be  the  securing  of  order  at  the  start.  Let  the 
teachers  be  instructed  to  restrain  their  scholars  a  little, 
and  let  the  school  close  quietly,  but  solemnly,  and  all 
the  rest  will  take  care  of  itself.  I  have  seen  schools 
rush  out  like  a  band  of  wild  Indians,  but  that  is  alto- 
gether the  fault,  not  of  the  children,  but  of  the  leaders. 
As  soon  as  the  leaders  understand  this,  and  begin  to 
take  active  measures  to  secure  a  change,  the  school  will 
feel  the  impulse  of  the  movement,  and  respond. 

After  the  School  Closes  many  superintendents 
leave  at  once,  and  start  for  home.  This  is  an  evil. 
There  are  many  of  the  teachers,  and  not  unlikely  some 
of  the  scholars,  who  would  like  to  see  him  on  matters 
of  real  importance.  In  fact,  if  it  is  a  school  of  any 
size,  if  there  are  no  persons  who  have  any  business 
with  the  superintendent,  it  proves  that  he  is  not  the 
right  kind  of  a  man.     He  has  not  so  acted  as  to  draw 


48  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

them  iozvard  himself,  or  else  he  has  not  aroused  his 
co-workers  to  that  pitch  of  enthusiasm  in  their  work  to 
which  they  should  have  attained. 

The  well-instructed  superintendent  remains  after  the 
school  has  closed  until  there  are  no  more  persons  who 
wish  to  see  him.  It  is  a  great  misfortune,  for  example, 
if  a  teacher  wants  to  communicate  to  him  some  news 
about  a  thoughtful  scholar,  to  have  him  off  and  away 
before  that  teacher  can  reach  the  desk.  At  times  I  have 
had  teachers,  who,  by  reason  of  poor  success  in  teaching 
a  hard  lesson,  have  become  discouraged,  and  have  come 
to  the  platform,  after  the  school  was  over,  to  present 
their  resignations.  Kind  sympathy  has  caused  them  to 
change  their  minds,  and  in  this  way  the  teacher  has  been 
saved  to  the  school.  If,  however,  that  teacher  had  been 
allowed  to  go  home  without  sympathy  or  friendly  coun- 
sel, you  would  have  had  a  letter  in  the  course  of  the 
week  announcing  his  resignation,  and  then  it  would 
have  been  much  harder  to  secure  a  change  of  determin- 
ation. 

There  are  many  minute  things  about  which  teacher 
or  scholar  want  advice,  and  for  which  they  will  come  to 
their  leader,  if  he  will  only  give  them  a  chance.  To 
refuse  this  is  to  lose  a  great  opportunity  to  draw  your 
school  closer  to  yourself.  This  no  wise  superintendent 
will  lose,  for  the  more  close  the  relation  between  himself 
and  his  teachers  and  scholars,  the  more  good  he  can 
accomplish  in  his  school.  Hand  and  glove  should  not 
be  closer  together  than  leader  and  led  in  this  blessed 
work. 


THE    SUPERINTENDENT. 


49 


If  the  Superintendent  Has  Done  All  that  we 
have  indicated  above,  he  may  go  home  happy,  and  be 
sure  that  his  teachers  will  be  satisfied  with  the  way  in 
which  he  has  tried  to  help  them  in  their  work.  They 
will  realize  that  they  have  a  man  at  the  head  of  the 
school  whom  it  is  well  to  follow,  and  will  give  him  their 
full  confidence. 

But  His  Work  for  That  Day  is  not  yet  quite  over. 
After  he  reaches  his  home,  he  would  do  w^ell  to  sit  down, 
and,  before  he  has  cooled  off,  ask  himself  where  he  has 
made  any  mistakes.  Let  him  review  the  work  and  see 
if  he  carried  out  all  his  plans  as  he  made  them  before 
he  went  to  the  school.  If  not,  let  him  ask  if  he  im- 
proved on  them,  or  whether  the  failure  to  do  as  he  had 
planned  was  a  mistake.  In  this  way  he  can  help  him- 
self for  the  better  performance  of  his  duties  the  next 
week. 

If  he  has  a  critical  wife,  let  him  ask  her  counsel,  and 
court  her  kindly  criticisms,  for  they  will  in  the  main  be 
just,  and,  if  they  err,  will  certainly  not  err  on  the  side  of 
needless  fault-finding.  A  good  wife  is  from  the  Lord, 
and  can  be  of  much  assistance  to  her  husband  in  such 
matters.     The  poet  says, 

"  Oh,  wad  some  power  the  giftie  gie  us 
To  see  oursels  as  ithers  see  us." 

This  wish  may  be  realized  in  the  way  indicated  above, 
to  the  great  advantage  of  both  superintendent  and 
school. 


50 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


He  who  never  makes  the  same  mistake  twice  will 
make  good  progress.  It  is  those  who  make  the  same 
blunder  over  and  over  again  who  stick  in  their  own 
tracks.  Be  you  not  like  one  of  those  who  never  change 
their  course  of  action  simply  because  they  never  make 
any  progress  in  their  ideals  of  what  is  the  best  thing  to 
be  done. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE    teachers'    MEETING. 

MUCH  good  work  can  be  done  in  the  Sunday  school 
without  a  teachers'  meeting,  but  by  no  means 
such  good  w  ork  as  can  be  done  with  the  aid  of  a  weekly 
meeting  for  the  study  of  the  lesson.  No  topic  in  con- 
ventions is  more  interesting  than  that  of  how  to  conduct 
these  meetings,  and,  as  our  theme  for  +his  chapter,  I 
shall  take  up  this  question,  and  try  to  say  some  helpful 
things  on  it. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  is  Exceedingly  Impor- 
tant. No  one  who  has  ever  tried  and  succeeded  will 
deny  this.  In  fact,  those  who  are  the  most  strenuous 
advocates  of  this  meeting  are  those  who  have  paid  the 
most  attention  to  it.  Any  man  who  decries  it  shows  by 
his  very  act  that  he  has  no  idea  of  its  true  value.  Ask 
the  most  successful  superintendents  in  the  land  what 
they  think  of  it,  and  with  one  voice  they  will  bear 
witness  to  its  indispensable  character. 

We  need  waste  no  more  space  on  this  question,  but 
shall  get  to  work  at  once  to  show  how  such  a  meeting 
may  be  made  a  success.  This  I  will  do  by  first  show- 
ing what  a  teachers'  meeting  should  not  be,  and,  second, 
by  showing  what  it  should  be.     Finally,  I  will  consider 


52  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

some  of  the  difficulties  that  are  in  the  way  of  making  it 
a  complete  success. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Should  Not  be  a 
Debating  Society.  There  is  always  danger  of 
this.  In  every  school  there  are  some  men  (and  women, 
too)  who  are  argumentatively  inclined.  As  soon  as 
they  strike  any  questions  that  will  bear  discussion  they 
grow  combative.  The  matter  of  the  Divine  Decrees 
and  Free  Will  is  a  fruitful  theme  with  them,  and  they 
will  gladly  spend  a  whole  evening  tearing  that  question 
to  tatters.  The  trouble  is  that  at  the  same  time  they 
tear  the  meeting  to  tatters  as  well. 

It  matters  not  what  the  question  in  debate  is,  if  the 
debaters  are  allowed  to  have  their  own  way  they  will 
ruin  any  meeting  ;  for  the  majority  of  the  teachers  have 
come  to  the  class,  not  for  discussion,  but  for  help  on 
how  to  handle  their  classes  on  the  following  Sunday. 
If  such  discussions  are  allowed  to  be  carried  on,  this 
class  of  teachers  will  soon  tire  of  the  meeting  and  will 
stay  away.  Check  this  evil  before  it  has  choked  your 
meeting.  Talk  with  the  combative  brethren  before  the 
meeting,  in  private,  and  ask  them  not  to  take  the  time 
of  the  teachers  with  their  unpractical  questions.  If 
they  will  not  heed  such  gentle  admonition,  then  stop 
them  by  force,  if  necessary. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Must  Not  be  a 
Lecture.  When  the  pastor  takes  the  charge  of  the 
meeting,  it  is  apt  to  develop  into  a  mere  lecture.     This 


THE  Teachers'  meeting.  53 

is  better  than  nothing,  but  is  evil  none  the  less.  One 
way  in  which  pastors  are  apt  to  fall  into  this  mistake  is 
because  they  are  restive  under  the  suggestions  of  their 
teachers  and  combat  them.  Then  the  teachers  hold 
their  peace,  and  leave  the  pastor  to  go  on  undisturbed 
with  his  talk.  Into  this  trap  he  falls  all  the  more  easily 
because  of  the  habit  formed  in  the  pulpit  of  continuous 
discourse.  But  it  is  a  grave  mistake.  It  begets  on  the 
part  of  the  hearers  an  inert  frame  of  mind,  and  they 
listen,  but  hear  not.  It  would  surprise  many  of  these 
teachers'-meeting  lecturers,  if  they  could  see  how  little 
real  help  they  are  to  their  teachers,  and  how  little  the 
average  teacher  carries  away  from  such  a  meeting. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Must  Not  be  a  Social 
Club.  This  sometimes  happens.  The  young  men 
and  maidens  gather,  and  are  full  of  their  fun.  They 
begin  to  pass  jokes  and  smart  sayings,  and  are  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  banter.  This  is  all  well  enough  in  its 
way,  and  at  the  proper  time,  but  it  will  kill  any 
teachers'  meeting  in  the  long  run.  The  serious  teachers 
will  weary  of  it,  and  will  show  their  feelings  by  stay- 
ing away.  There  is  a  time  for  everything  under  the 
sun,  and  the  teachers'  meeting  in  not  the  time  for  polite 
skylarking.     At  the  same  time 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Must  Not  be  Dull. 
Dulness  is  an  unpardonable  sin  in  many  things  besides 
teachers'  meeting.  I  have  seen  the  leader  sit  in  his 
chair  before  the  meeting  began,  and  by  his  solemnity 


-  .  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

throw  a  chill  over  each  teacher  as  he  came  into  the 
room,  so  that  by  the  time  the  meeting  began  you  would 
have  thought  that  they  had  assembled  for  a  funeral, 
and  not  for  the  study  of  the  most  cheerful  book  in  the 
world. 

If  you  cut  out  religion  from  this  world,  there  is 
nothing  left  that  is  truly  bright,  and  why  a  teachers' 
meeting  should  ever  be  a  dull  thing  I  cannot  under- 
stand. ''  There  is  a  difference  between  staring  and 
stark  mad " ;  and  so  there  is  a  difference  between  a 
frivolous  meeting  and  one  that  is  as  stupid  as  an  owl. 
Brighten  up,  brother,  and  put  a  litde  life  into  your 
meedng,  so  that  your  teachers  shall  be  attracted  to  it  by 
its  good  cheer.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  a  laugh,  for  it  is 
sometimes  the  best  of  medicines. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Should  Not  be  the 
Tail  to  Another  Meeting.  (I  know  that  this  is 
sometimes  necessary,  but  it  is  an  evil.)  If  possible,  it 
should  have  an  evening  all  to  itself.  I  should  tell  my 
teachers,  if  I  were  their  pastor,  that,  if  they  could  attend 
only  one  meeting  in  the  week,  they  should  omit  the 
prayer  meedng  and  be  at  the  teachers'  meeting.  For 
to  them  it  is  far  more  important  than  any  other  meeting 
can  be.  Give  a  whole  evening  to  this  exercise,  and 
then  you  will  exalt  it  to  its  proper  importance.  There 
will  be  no  feeling  of  hurry  because  of  the  lateness  of 
the  hour,  and  you  will  have  time  to  go  over  the  lesson 
with  proper  care.  There  are  other  things  to  be  done 
in  the  meeting  besides  the  study  of  the  lesson,  as  we  shall 


THE    TEACHERS     MEETING. 


55 


see  presently,  and  for  these  there  is  no  time  if  the  meeting 
be  held  after  another  meeting  of  an  hour  in  length.  Be- 
sides, after  another  meeting,  the  teachers  are  a  little 
tired,  and  cannot  give  good  attention  to  the  topic  in 
hand. 

So  much  for  what  a  teachers'  meeting  should  not  be. 
I  could  say  some  more  things  along  this  line,  but  this 
will  suffice  for  the  present.  If  I  spin  my  yarn  too 
long,  I  am  afraid  that  teachers  will  not  read  it,  and  I 
had  rather  write  ten  words  that  will  be  read  than  a 
hundred  that  go  a-begging  for  a  reader.  Now  we  will 
pass  on  to  see  what  a  teachers'  meeting  should  be. 
And  I  remark  in  the  first  place  that 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  is  One  for  the  Study 
OF  THE  Lesson.  In  theory,  all  teachers  ought  to  come 
to  the  meeting  with  the  lesson  already  prepared,  at  least, 
in  its  outline  facts.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact  most 
teachers  do  not  find  time  for  this,  and  for  that  reason  I 
say  the  meeting  must  take  up  the  lesson  from  the  very 
beginning,  and  the  leader  see  to  it  that  the  teachers 
know  the  lesson  facts.  This  is  not  hard  work,  provided 
the  leader  himself  knows  them.  This  drawing  out  of 
the  facts  of  the  lesson  should  be  by  question  and 
answer,  for  that  always  was  and  still  is  the  best  of 
methods.  At  the  same  time  the  leader  must  exercise 
very  great  wisdom  in  putting  his  questions,  so  as  not  to 
frighten  the  timid  teacher. 

Teachers  have  often  come  to  me  and  promised  to 
attend  the  meeting  on  condition  that  I  would  not  ask 


56  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

them  any  questions.  This  I  always  agreed  to,  saying 
that  I  would  give  them  fair  warning  before  asking  any, 
even  the  simplest  question.  But  by  degrees,  as  they 
gained  confidence  and  became  accustomed  to  the  way 
of  working,  I  found  that  .it  was  not  difficult  to  lead 
them  out  of  their  shyness,  and  then  they  took  part  as 
did  their  comrades. 

In  this  matter  of  question  and  answer  the  following 
points  are  always  to  be  brought  out.  The  place, 
where?  The  time,  when?  The  persons,  who?  The 
events,  what?  And  the  practical  application,  what 
then?  If  these  are  well  discussed,  and  the  answers 
made  plain,  much  has  been  done  to  help  the  average 
teacher  in  his  preparation. 

In  this  illustrations  are  to  be  sought  for  and  given, 
and  in  this,  as  in  all  the  study,  the  teachers  must  be 
encouraged  to  take  part.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  teacher 
to  give  as  well  as  gct^  and  the  leader  must  have  the 
skill  to  make  the  teachers  give  out  of  their  stores.  The 
leader  will  know  when  to  add,  and  when  to  correct 
gently  what  is  mistaken,  and  when  to  bring  the  matters 
to  a  practical  conclusion.  That  is  what  he  is  leader 
for.  It  may  be  hard  at  the  first,  but  with  practice  it 
becomes  comparatively  easy. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Should  be  Devotional. 
It  is  a  great  mistake  to  make  it  entirely  intellectual. 
The  work  that  teachers  have  in  hand  has  its  intensely 
devotional  side,  and  without  much  prayer  will  not 
succeed.     So  opportunity^  sliould  be  given  for  requests 


THE    TEACHERS     MEETING.  57 

for  prayer,  and  for  a  statement  of  difficulties  and  en- 
couragements, after  which  the  meeting  can  unite  intel- 
ligently in  prayer  or  in  thanksgiving.  This  gives 
warmth  to  the  gathering,  and  satisfies  some  to  whom  a 
merely  intellectual  treat  would  be  like  a  cold  dinner. 
Burdens  that  are  borne  by  sympathizing  friends  to  the 
throne  of  grace  become  lighter  by  that  very  act,  and 
are  more  easily  carried.  Let  there  never  be  less  than 
two  prayers,  and  often  more.  Let  the  prayers  be  short, 
strong,  and  specific,  not  running  over  all  the  world 
and  all  time,  but  for  that  which  just  at  present  lies 
nearest  the  hearts  of  the  teachers.  Teachers  should  be 
strongly  encouraged  to  bring  special  cases  and  ask  for 
prayer  in  their  behalf.  In  this  way  this  part  of  the 
meeting  becomes  most  delightful. 

The  Teachers'  Meeting  Should  Discuss  Plans 
for  the  improvement  of  the  school.  Only  in  this  way 
can  the  school  be  intelligently  worked.  If  the  superin- 
tendent does  everything  himself,  without  consultation 
and  discussion,  he  makes  a  great  mistake.  His 
teachers  will  give  him  an  unintelligent  support,  and  at 
times  no  support  at  all.  They  do  not  fully  understand 
the  reason  why  he  wants  any  change,  and  therefore  are 
not  themselves  really  ready  for  the  change.  At  the 
same  time  the  superintendent  will  welcome  suggestion 
from  the  teachers  for  the  improvement  of  the  ways 
of  working,  and  in  this  way  the  school  will  make 
advance. 

That  school  that  has    not  for  two  years  made  any 


58  WAYS    OP^    WORKING. 

change  in  its  ways  of  working  has  fallen  into  a  rut, 
and,  what  is  worse,  does  not  know  it.  But  if  plans  are 
discussed,  for  example,  for  grading  of  the  school,  or 
for  a  new  method  of  giving  out  the  library  books,  and 
the  teachers  have  adopted  them,  they  will  then  be  able 
to  carry  them  out  with  unanimity  and  enthusiasm. 

As  suggestions  toward  this  matter  of  discussion,  let 
me  ask  a  few  questions  right  here. 

Is  your  library  in  as  good  a  condition  as  it  should  be 
in?     If  not,  how  can  it  be  improved? 

How  is  your  music?  Have  you  enough  books  so 
that  every  scholar  can  have  one  to  himself?  Are  the 
books  '*  sung  out "  ?     How  can  you  have  better  singing  ? 

Is  your  school  really  orderly?  Or  have  you  late- 
comers streaming  in  while  you  are  praying  or  reading 
the  lesson?  Do  the  scholars  and  teachers  read  respon- 
sively  with  enthusiasm,  or  is  that  part  of  the  service 
but  half-hearted  at  the  best?  Where  can  you  improve 
in  these  matters? 

Have  you  any  blackboard?  If  not,  why  not?  Why 
do  all  the  best  schools  have  them  and  use  them  all  the 
time?  Is  your  school  better  than  the  best,  that  you 
consider  them  useless? 

Are  all  your  classes  graded?  If  not,  is  it  best  to 
leave  them  as  they  are?  If  they  should  be  graded,  what 
is  the  best  system  of  grading? 

Such  matters  as  these  should  be  discussed  in  the 
teachers'  meeting,  not  necessarily  every  week,  but  at 
least  once  a  month,  or  once  a  quarter.  In  this  way, 
and  only  in  this  way,  will  your  school  make  progress. 


THE    TEACHERS     MEETING.  59 

Now,  if  your  teachers'  meeting  does  its  work  in  the 
way  suggested  above,  it  will  be  a  power  for  good,  and 
the  whole  school  will  feel  the  impulse  of  its  counsel  and 
enthusiasm. 

Now  for  a  few  difficulties  that  are  often  mentioned  in 
connection  with  the  teachers'  meeting. 

First  Difficulty.  We  cannot  get  all  otir  teachers 
to  come.  Well,  what  of  that?  It  is  not  to  be  expected. 
There  are  always  some  teachers  who  really  cannot  come 
by  reason  of  household  cares  or  other  good  hindrances. 
But  that  does  not  interfere  with  those  who  can  come. 
Then  there  are  (unfortunately)  in  every  school  some 
teachers  who  do  not  in  any  way  realize  the  importance 
of  such  a  meeting,  and  they  stay  away.  But  there  are 
always  those  who  want  the  help  that  such  a  gathering 
affords,  and  for  their  sakes  it  is  well  worth  the  while  to 
have  a  meeting. 

If  I  had  a  school  I  should  have  a  teachers'  meeting 
if  only  four  teachers  came,  and  should  try  to  make  it  so 
helpful  that  the  others  would  by  and  by  feel  that  they 
could  not  afford  to  be  absent.  Besides,  much  can  be 
done  by  patient  and  personal  work  in  persuading  those 
teachers  to  come  who  at  first  stay  away. 

Second  Difficulty.  We  have  no  time  for  such  a 
meeting.  Pardon  me,  but  that  is  not  true.  If  you  want 
it  intensely  enough  you  will  find  time  for  it.  If  the 
pastor  or  the  superintendent  feels  that  the  meeting  for 
the  study  of   the  lesson  is  of    more  importance  to  the 


6o  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

teachers  than  any  other  meeting  of  the  week,  they  will 
soon  make  time  for  it.  Any  school  can  be  worked  up 
to  this  idea,  so  that  the  teachers  will  as  soon  think  of 
giving  up  the  school  session  as  giving  up  4:he  preparation 
meeting.  I  have  always  found  that  I  can  have  anything 
reasonable  in  my  school  provided  I  WANT  IT  WITH 
ALL  MY  HEART.  But  if  I  am  half-hearted  in  the 
matter,  I  am  apt  to  fail  of  reaching  the  goal  aimed  at. 

Third  Difficulty,  (This  is  felt  in  country  dis- 
tricts.) The  teachers  live  so  Jar  azuay  that  it  is  not  pos- 
sible for  them  to  come  ;  and,  besides,  the  roads  are  bad 
and  dark.  Well,  all  the  teachers  are  not  far  from  the 
center,  and  if  you  take  those  who  are  near  by  you  can 
still  have  your  weekly  meeting.  When  I  had  a  country 
charge,  and  this  was  true,  I  had  tzvo  meetings  every 
week,  one  on  an  evening,  and  the  other  at  the  nooning, 
when  those  who  lived  far  away  could  still  have  their 
meeting  before  the  session  of  the  school.  It  was  hard 
for  me,  but  I  never  said  that  it  was  easy  to  have  such  a 
meeting.  It  was  hard,  but  what  of  that?  If  any  man 
is  afraid  of  hard  work  he  had  better  go  to  bed  and  stay 
there. 

Fourth  Difficulty.  (This  is  felt  in  the  city.) 
Ladies  do  not  like  to  go  out  at  night  alone.  Well,  it  is 
possible  to  get  teacher-escorts  for  them  from  the  male 
force  of  teachers.  It  takes  a  little  arrangement  and 
forethought,  but  so  do  all  good  things.  And  even  if  a 
few  really  cannot  come,  as  I  have  said  before,  that  does 


THE    TEACHERS'    MEETING.  6l 

not  prevent  others  from  attending.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  have  all  the  teachers  present  or  even  a  majority. 
Four  earnest  teachers  can  have  a  very  good  meeting. 
I  have  for  fourteen  years  conducted  a  teachers'  meeting 
in  the  city,  and  that  in  a  bad  part  of  the  town,  but  we 
never  thought  of  giving  it  up  on  that  account.  We  went 
ahead,  and  found  that  it  did  us  a  world  of  good.  In 
fact,  I  cannot  conceive  of  difficulties  that  would  hinder 
me  from  sustaining  a  meeting,  year  in  and  year  out. 

Fifth  Difficulty.  (There  are  some  who  think 
that  this  settles  the  question.)  WB  TRIED  IT 
ONCE  AND  IT  FAILED,  That  does  not  prove 
that  it  would  fail  if  you  tried  it  again. 

"  If  at  first  you  don't  succeed,  try,  try,  try  again." 

It  may  be  that  you  fell  into  some  of  the  mistakes  that 
I  have  tried  to  guard  you  against  above,  and  that  if  this 
time  you  were  to  steer  clear  of  them  you  w^ould  succeed. 
A  thing  w^orth  having  is  worth  trying  for  many  times. 
If  you  had  in  life  given  up  everything  that  did  not  suc- 
ceed the  first  time,  how  many  things  you  would  have 
missed ! 

I  well  know  that  to  learn  to  conduct  a  successful 
teachers'  meeting  is  not  an  easy  matter,  but  I  also  know 
that  when  you  do  succeed  you  have  accomplished  a 
great  thing.  To  my  brethren  in  the  ministry  I  would 
say  that  it  is  much  harder  to  manage  a  good  teachers' 
meeting  than  to  conduct  a  successful  prayer  meeting. 
But  it  can  be  done,  and  the  power  of  the  minister  who 


52  WAYS    OF   WORKING. 

has  such  a  meeting  is  more  than  doubled  m  his  school 
and  church. 

As  a  rule  in  most  churches,  the  pastor  is  the  man  upon 
whom  must  fall  the  work  of  the  teachers'  meeting,  and 
it  is  ten  thousand  pities  that  the  theological  seminaries 
do  not  give  instruction  along  this  line  of  work.  They 
had  better  give  fewer  lectures  on  the  dry  bones  of 
church  history  and  doctrines,  dead  a  thousand  years 
ago,  and  more  on  the  living  work  of  a  practical  pastor. 
But  I  am  afraid  that  that  is  past  praying  for,  because 
there  is  not  one  professor  in  ten  who  could  do  anything 
but  kill  a  teachers'  meeting  dead.  However,  what  has 
not  been  learned  in  the  seminary  can  be  learned  outside 
of  its  walls,  and  it  will  pay  every  minister  to  learn  how 
to  have  a  successful  meeting  in  his  parish. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PRIVATE    LESSON  STUDY. 

NOT  many  teachers  can  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a 
teachers'  meeting,  and  even  those  who  can  will 
admit  that  it  cannot  take  the  place  of  private  study  of 
the  lesson  week  by  week.  As  a  help  in  the  right  direc- 
tion let  me  suggest  the  following  :  — 

Get  the  Best  Lesson  Helps.  Of  such  helps 
there  is  a  large  number,  and,  as  we  might  expect,  some 
are  better  than  others.  The  intelligent  worker  will  try 
and  select  those  that  are  the  most  practical,  and  will 
subscribe  for  them.  Never  mind  whether  they  are 
denominational  or  not,  for  what  we  want  to  reach  is  the 
very  best  method  of  teaching  the  Word  of  God  to  our 
scholars.  If  you  are  a  Congregationalist,  and  the 
Methodists  have  better  helps  than  your  own  denomination, 
take  the  latter.  In  this  selection  of  helps,  remember 
that  what  was  best  last  year  may  not  be  best  this  year. 
For  writers  are  changed  from  time  to  time,  and  the  old 
are  at  times  better  than  those  who  take  their  places. 
Watch  for  changes,  such  as  are  to  be  expected,  and 
change  with  them,  when  they  are  to  your  advantage. 

Never     Mind     the     Outcry     against     helps     as 

63 


64  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

*<  crutches."  You  will  often  hear  this  at  conventions. 
Generally  it  comes  from  ministers  who  dare  not  enter 
their  pulpits  without  a  finished  manuscript,  and  yet  these 
same  men  cry  out  against  lesson  helps  as  "crutches." 
Pray,  what  do  they  use  themselves  when  they  preacli  ?  A 
crutch  is  a  good  thing  when  I  am  lame.  Most  teachers 
are  lame,  and  confess  it  freely.  For  those  let  there  be 
* '  crutches,"  so  that  they  may  walk  the  better.  No  man  is 
as  wise  as  all  his  fellowmen  together,  and  what  the  best 
men  say  about  the  lesson  must  be  known  to  any  teacher 
who  would  be  fitted  to  do  his  work  well.  Look  out  for 
the  best,  and  then  use  it,  whatever  anybody  may  say. 

Begin  Your  Lesson  Study  Early  in  the  week. 
Some  teachers  put  off  all  preparation  until  Saturday, 
and  some  even  till  Sunday  morning.  All  this  is 
evil.  The  plea  that  they  are  very  busy  is  not  a  good 
plea,  for  it  takes  no  longer  to  study  the  lesson  on  one 
day  than  on  another.  The  best  time  to  begin  the  study 
of  the  lesson  for  the  following  week  is  on  the  Sunda}' 
after  you  have  taught  the  lesson  for  the  day.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  give  much  time  to  it  then,  but  it  is 
well  to  commence  and  get  the  text  well  in  mind.  This 
will  give  you  the  material  to  think  over  at  odd  times 
during  the  week.  Of  such  odd  times,  even  the  most 
busy  man  has  more  than  he  suspects.  In  such  odd 
times  he  will  get  golden  thoughts  that  will  not  come  to 
him  in  the  hurry  of  a  late  preparation.  Every  minister 
will  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  some  of  his  best 
thoughts  come  to  him  at  "  odd  times." 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  65 

Let  the  First  Thing  be  a  careful  reading  of  the 
text.  This  should  be  done  prayerfully,  and  without  any 
reference  to  *'  helps."  Let  the  teacher  see  to  it  at  this 
time  that  he  thoroughly  understands  the  text,  and  so 
masters  the  story  (if  there  be  one)  that  he  could  tell  it 
again  in  all  its  details.  This  is  not  so  easy  a  matter  as 
many  suppose.  Do  not  take  it  for  granted  that  you 
can  do  this  until  you  have  tried  it.  Then  you  may  rest 
for  awhile  and  trust  your  mind  to  put  it  into  shape,  so 
that  it  shall  become  part  and  parcel  of  your  mental 
furniture. 

Be  Familiar  with  the  Maps  which  deal  with 
the  geography  of  all  lessons.  The  location  of  Jeru- 
salem, Babylon,  Haran,  Bethel,  Athens,  Philippi 
should  be  as  familiar  to  you  as  that  of  Boston,  New 
York,  Washington,  and  Chicago.  Every  lesson  help 
has  such  maps,  and  ignorance  here  is  utterly  inex- 
cusable. If  you  can  so  familiarize  yourself  with  the 
geography  of  Bible  lands  as  to  be  able  to  draw  outline 
maps  of  the  countries  spoken  of,  you  will  find  it  a  great 
power  in  teaching.  Ignorance  never  gives  power,  but 
knowledge  is  potent  for  good. 

Know  the  Surroundings  of  your  lessons.  If  the 
lesson  is  one  about  Abraham,  be  so  familiar  with  his 
surroundings  that  at  once  you  see  tents,  camels,  cara- 
vans, flocks,  herds,  wells  being  dug.  Pastoral  life  will 
then  dominate  the  mental  picture  that  you  will  form, 
and  the  whole  will  become  instinct  with  life. 


(id  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

If  you  are  teaching  about  Paul,  the  scene  will  at 
once  change,  and  you  will  be  in  great  cities.  Athens, 
Corinth,  Ephesus,  Rome,  with  all  their  splendid 
architectural  glories,  will  form  the  background  of  all 
the  scenes.  If  it  be  Moses  at  the  court  of  Pharaoh, 
Egyptian  temples  and  pyramids  will  abound.  If 
Moses  in  the  desert  is  the  theme,  this  will  all  vanish, 
and  in  its  place  we  shall  have  sands,  mountains,  sheep, 
loneliness,  all  stretching  out  for  the  dreary  space  of 
forty  years. 

If  Nehemiah  comes  up  for  consideration,  we  shall  at 
once  see  a  ruined  city  and  a  discouraged  people. 
Soon,  however,  we  shall  see  walls  arising,  gates 
being  set  up,  and  shall  hear  the  glad  shouts  of  those 
who  are  rejoicing  in  presperity  returning.  This  is 
what  I  mean  by  being  familiar  with  the  surroundings 
of  each  lesson.  It  will  give  intensity  to  all  the  events 
of  which  we  learn,  and  will  help  us  to  make  them  vivid 
to  our  classes.     Do  you  see? 

Answer  Five  Questions.  —  WHERE?  This  will 
deal  with  the  geography  of  the  lesson.  If  it  be  an 
epistle  or  a  prophecy,  it  will  tell  you  in  what  land  the 
writer  was,  and  in  what  land  the  ones  to  whom  he 
wrote  were  living.  For  example,  the  epistle  to  Timothy 
is  more  easily  understood  when  I  know  that  it  was 
written  from  Rome,  and  was  addressed  to  one  living  in 
luxurious  Ephesus.  The  mental  picture  that  you  have 
of  the  Where  will  strongly  influence  all  your  handling 
of  the  lesson  story. 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  67 

WHEN?  This  deals  with  the  chronology  of  the 
lesson,  and  is  an  important  factor  in  the  right  handling 
of  the  Word.  Patriarchal  times  differ  much  from 
prophetic  days,  and  these  very  largely  from  those  of 
apostolic  periods.  My  When  will  color  much  the  les- 
sons that  I  may  have  to  deduce  from  the  text.  For 
example,  a  lie  in  patriarchal  times,  when  the  light  en- 
joyed was  dim,  will  not  be  so  strongly  condemned  by 
me  as  will  the  lie  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  who  had 
much  more  light.  Many  mistakes  are  made  in  teach- 
ing, because  of  the  failure  to  recognize  this  element  of 
dates  and  surroundings. 

WHO?  This  question  answered  will  bring  out  the 
persons  with  whom  the  lessons  deals.  They  are  the 
actors  in  the  scenes  that  we  are  to  present  to  our 
scholars.  Here  we  shall  find  great  variety,  for  the 
Word  presents  to  us  patriarchs,  prophets,  kings, 
beggars,  wise  men,  fools,  rich,  poor,  proud,  humble,  — 
one  vast  procession  of  "  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
men."  Some  good,  some  bad,  some  inspired,  others 
uninspired,  they  walk  before  us  a  vast  procession  with 
features  clearly  depicted  by  inspired  writers,  and  all 
for  our  profit  and  instruction.  Get  these  well  in  mind, 
and  be  able  to  answer  any  question  that  pertains  to  the 
actors  in  the  lessons  that  you  teach. 

WHAT?  This  question  deals  with  the  events  of  the 
lesson.  What  did  the  men  of  whom  we  have  just 
spoken   do    or  say?     Actors  must  act,    and   the    more 


68  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

vividly  we  see  them  as  they  are  on  the  stage  of  human 
history,  the  better  will  our  scholars  see  them,  and  the 
more  interesting  will  be  our  teaching.  What  you  see 
you  can  make  others  see ;  but  what  is  obscure  to  you 
will  be  so  to  them. 

WHAT  THEN?  This  deals  with  the  practical 
application  of  the  lesson.  These  actors  are  all  dead, 
and  have  been  for  many  centuries.  We  read  of  their 
actions  and  study  their  utterances.  What  then?  What 
is  there  that  we  may  learn  from  their  mistakes  or  their 
successes?  Here  the  teacher  will  have  to  search  out 
the  underlying  principles  that  are  constant  in  their 
application  to  all  men  everywhere.  Was  Solomon  wise 
in  his  talk  and  foolish  in  his  walk?  Well,  there  are 
to-day  many  Solomons.  They  talk  well,  and  they 
know  much,  but  their  lives  are  full  of  sin.  Wise  talk 
did  not  save  the  king,  and  it  will  not  save  you.  Was 
David  peculiarly  godly  in  his  youth,  and  was  it  in  his  old 
age  that  he  fell  mto  his  grievous  sins?  Well,  the  same 
is  true  to-day.  You  are  not  safe  because  you  have  been 
a  Christian  for  twenty  years.  Old  men  sin  as  well  as 
young,  and  their  sins  are  all  the  worse  on  that  account. 
This  will  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  the  What  Then? 

Select  Main  Points  for  application.  There  are 
many  lessons  that  teem  with  salient  points,  but  the 
time  of  the  teacher  is  limited  to  (say)  half  an  hour. 
He  cannot  deal  wisely  with  them  all.  If  he  tries,  he 
will  only  leave  a  confused  impression  on  the  minds  of 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY 


69 


his  scholars.  One  good  point  deeply  impressed  is 
better  than  three  vaguely  presented.  It  is  what  3'our 
scholar  remembers,  not  what  he  hears  only,  that  will  do 
him  good.  If  you  have  a  class  of  boys,  you  will  pick 
out  truths  for  their  guidance  varying  from  those  that 
you  might  select  if  you  were  teaching  an  adult  Bible 
class.  A  mother's  class  requires  very  different  applica- 
tions of  the  truth  from  a  class  of  primary  children. 
You  see  what  I  mean? 

After  having  gone  over  the  lesson  to  select  its  various 
practical  teachings,  make  another  selection  to  apply 
more  especially  to  the  individual  scholars  under  your 
care.  I  would  even  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  at  times  I 
would  pick  out  some  truth  with  especial  reference  to 
some  one  scholar.  In  this  way  we  learn  to  be  specific. 
But  the  more  specific  I  am,  the  more  likely  I  am  to 
help  some  one.  When  I  call  a  doctor  to  my  bedside  I 
want  him  to  be  specific,  and  not  to  give  me  any  medi- 
cine on  '' general  ^7'inciples.''  Treat  your  scholars  in 
the  same  way  as  far  as  possible. 

Look  Out  for  Illustrations.  A  story  that  will 
illustrate  the  point  that  you  wish  to  make  is  twice  as 
good  as  an  argument.  Half  the  class  will  not  listen  to 
an  argument,  while  the  dullest  scholar  pricks  up  his 
ears  as  soon  as  he  hears  that  you  are  telling  a  story.  I 
have  seen  listless  congregations  aroused  as  soon  as  the 
preacher  began  to  tell  a  story,  and  often  the  part  of  the 
sermon  that  is  best  remembered  (if,  indeed,  not  the  only 
part)  is  the  telling  story. 


70  WAYS    OF    \VORKIN(i. 

Take  these  illustrations,  if  possible,  out  of  your  own 
experience.  They  are  for  you  better  than  any  stories 
that  you  could  get  from  encyclopasdias  of  illustration. 
I  never  could  use  these.  They  seem  to  me  like 
mummies,  compared  with  events  that  I  myself  have 
witnessed.  Look  out  in  daily  life  for  such  illustrations. 
They  are  to  be  found  on  every  hand.  The  simplest  are 
the  best,  —  things  that  you  see  on  the  cars  or  on  the 
street.  These  are  full  of  power.  The  Saviour's  illus- 
trations were  of  this  nature.  Leaven,  which  he  had 
seen  his  mother  take  and  use,  he  afterwards  used  to 
illustrate  the  workings  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Chil- 
dren playing  in  the  market-place,  the  sower  with  'his 
seed,  the  fisherman  with  his  nets,  —  such  were  the  illus- 
trations that  he  used.  Be  like  him,  and,  like  him,  you 
will  have  power  in  your  teaching. 

Look  for  Object  Lessons.  Not  every  lesson  can 
be  illustrated  by  objects,  but  many  can,  and  in  these 
object  teachings  there  is  very  great  power.  An  object 
of  almost  any  sort,  taken  into  the  class,  will  command 
the  attention  of  even  the  most  careless  scholar.  For 
example,  if  the  lesson  be  on  the  resurrection,  let  the 
teacher  take  some  flower-seed  into  the  class,  and  use  it 
as  Paul  indicates  in  the  15th  chapter  of  i   Corinthians. 

To  illustrate  the  unseen  but  not  unfelt  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  teacher  may  well  make  use  of  a  mag- 
net, whose  unseen  power  is  felt  by  every  particle  of  iron 
with  which  it  comes  in  contact.  To  make  clear  the 
blinding   nature    of   sin,  a   veil    may  be    used,  which, 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  7 1 

placed  over  the  eyes,  obscures  the  vision.  So  a  lie  told 
obscures  the  spiritual  vision  of  every  child,  and  as  a 
veil  doubled  and  trebled  at  last  shuts  out  all  light,  so  a 
lie  told  and  told  again  will  at  last  make  a  boy  totally 
blind  to  all  truth.  A  handkerchief  soiled  easily,  but 
not  so  easily  cleansed,  will  set  forth  the  ease  with  which 
a  soul  is  marred  by  sin,  but  with  difficulty  purified. 

A  watch  with  all  its  complicated  parts  will  stand  for 
the  human  frame,  so  complex  in  all  its  parts,  and  will 
set  forth  the  wisdom  of  God  in  making  so  wonderful  a 
thing  as  a  human  body.  As  we  care  for  the  watch,  so 
we  should  care  for  our  bodies,  and  minds,  and  souls. 
As  we  w^ould  not  abuse  a  fine  watch,  so  we  should  not 
abuse  our  frames,  which  are  of  more  value  than  twenty 
watches.  In  such  ways  the  teacher  should  be  on  the 
lookout  for  object  lessons  with  which  to  enforce  the 
truth  that  may  be  found  in  any  lesson. 

Having  Thus  Prepared  the  lesson,  let  the  teacher 
now  think  of  how  he  will  teach  it.  To  do  this  properly, 
it  will  be  needful  to  ask  questions  of  the  scholars,  for  a 
lesson  in  which  the  scholar  is  asked  no  question  is  a 
lecture,  and  not  a  properly  taught  Sunday  school  lesson. 
But  on  the  asking  of  the  right  kind  of  question  a  great 
deal  depends.  Therefore,  let  the  teacher,  with  the  class 
in  mind,  prepare  a  list  of  questions  beforehand^  suited  to 
the  capacity  of  the  members  of  the  class.  This  will 
help  the  teacher  himself  in  the  clarification  of  that 
w^hich  he  proposes  to  present  to  the  class. 

Most  of  the  questions  that  are  asked  should  be  of  the 


72  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

very  simplest  kind,  so  as  to  encourage  the  scholars  to 
give  ready  answers.  Hard  questions,  while  they  may 
suit  the  teacher,  will  not  suit  the  scholar,  and  he  is  the 
one  most  to  be  consulted.  It  will  not  be  necessary  for 
all  the  questions  thus  prepared  to  be  actually  asked,  for 
the  trend  of  the  lesson  may  be  affected  by  some  unfore- 
seen circumstance.  But  it  is  very  sure  that  if  no  such 
questions  are  prepared  the  lesson  will  not  go  so  well 
as  it  will  with  due  preparation. 

Have  a  Clear  Outline  of  these  points  that  you 
wish  to  make  written  out  on  paper.  I  find  this  the 
greatest  possible  help  to  clearness  of  teaching.  A  few 
words  will  suffice  for  this,  and  the  fewer  the  better.  If 
the  story  be  a  Christmas  one,  and  the  lesson  be  from 
the  account  by  Matthew,  let  the  outline  be  "  Glad  tidings 
—  Sad  tidings."  They  were  glad  tidings  to  the  shep- 
herds and  to  all  believers,  and  sad  tidings  to  Herod  and 
all  self-seekers.  So  to-day  they  are  the  same,  accord- 
ing as  men  are  ready  to  receive  them  or  reject  them. 

If  the  lesson  is  Peter's  fall,  make  it  run  as  follows. 
Peter  the  Apostle,  proud,  boastful,  lying,  swearing, 
repenting,  restored.  If  the  prodigal  son  be  the  theme, 
you  can  fasten  it  in  the  minds  of  your  scholars  by  the 
words,  "A  son  rebellious,  riotous,  ruined,  reflecting, 
repenting,  returning,  restored,  rejoicing."  Boil  down 
the  statement  of  your  points  to  the  last  degree  of  brevity, 
both  for  your  own  sake  and  for  that  of  those  whom  you 
are  to  teach.  In  this  way  clearness  and  ease  of  remem- 
bering are  secured. 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  73 

In  All  This  be  Much  in  Prayer. — God  alone 
can  give  us  that  truth  that  shall  reach  the  hearts  of  our 
•scholars,  and  all  work  that  has  not  his  blessing  on  it 
will  be  vain.  The  word  is  like  seed,  and  prayer  is  like 
the  early  and  later  rain  that  waters  the  seed,  and  with- 
out which  the  seed  will  come  to  nothing.  Yet  there  are 
many  teachers  w^ho  study,  and  even  try  to  teach  their 
classes,  without  special  prayer.  This  is  folly,  and 
worse  than  folly.  A  lesson  steeped  in  prayer  will  be 
sure  to  do  good,  while  we  have  no  right  to  expect  any- 
thing good  from  truth  taught  without  the  blessing  of  its 
Author. 

This  is  one  reason  why  there  is  so  much  sowing  of 
the  seed,  and  so  little  reaping  of  harvest.  Remember 
that  we  have  the  scholars  in  that  exact  time  of  life  when 
we  may  most  confidently  expect  a  harvest.  If  we  do 
not  get  it  in  their  youth,  when  can  we  expect  to  gather 
it  in?  Must  we  wait  till  they  are  old  in  sin  before  they 
are  converted?  This  is  one  of  the  heresies  that  is  most 
harmful,  and  yet  there  are  many  teachers  who  hardly 
expect  to  have  conversions  among  their  scholars  till  they 
are  well  advanced  in  years.  No,  no  ;  in  childhood  we 
may  confidently  expect  them  to  give  their  hearts  to  the 
blessed  Lord,  if  we  teach  them  aright. 

So  Much  for  Specific  Directions. — Now  for  a 
few  general  remarks.  Every  teacher  should  have  a 
general  knowledge  of  the  Word  beyond  that  demanded 
by  the  study  of  those  portions  that  fall  to  our  lot  each 
week.     There  are  great  and  important  periods  of  Bible 


74  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

history  with  which  we  should  all  be  very  familiar. 
They  are  the  central  points,  and  from  them  we  may 
draw  many  illustrations.  Then  there  are  certain  great 
personages  with  whose  lives  we  should  be  well  ac- 
quainted. 

With  regard  to  the  periods  spoken  of,  I  will  instance 
as  examples.  The  Patriarchal  Period.  The  general 
manner  of  life  of  the  patriarchs  should  be  familiar  to  us. 
The  revelations  that  God  made  to  them  should  be  mat- 
ters of  intimate  knowledge.  Another  very  important 
period  is  that  of  The  Exodus,  Here  God  was  giving 
the  law,  and  was  amalgamating  for  himself  a  people. 
All  that  pertains  to  that  period  is  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance to  the  teacher  of  God's  Word.  Then  the  Period 
of  Revival  \\xid.^x  Elijah  and  Elisha  is  very  significant. 
The  Restoration  under  Nehemiah  is  highly  interesting 
and  full  of  lessons  for  the  Christian  worker.  Then, 
of  course,  the  period  of  our  Tord's  life  is  one  of  the 
utmost  importance,  with  which  no  one  can  be  too 
well  acquainted.  And  finally  the  period  of  the  Foun- 
dation of  the  Christian  Church  should  receive  special 
study. 

Finally,  After  You  Have  Taught  a  Lesson, 
review  it  on  getting  home,  to  see  where  you  have  made 
any  mistakes.  We  often  make  a  plan  that  seems  to  us 
good  before  we  meet  the  class,  but  which  on  trial  is  not 
as  good  as  we  had  hoped  it  w^ould  be.  To  ascertain 
where  the  weak  spot  was,  go  over  the  teaching  at 
leisure,  and  ascertain  what  w^as  redundant  or  deficient. 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  75 

This  will  help  in  all  future  preparations  of  lessons.  By 
mistakes  corrected,  the  best  of  men  have  reached  per- 
fection ;  whereas,  by  careless  repetition  of  mistakes, 
men  remain  where  they  were,  and  make  no  progress. 
This  matter  of  reviewing  is  not  a  small  one,  though  to 
you  it  may  be  entirely  new.  Try  it,  and  you  will  say 
with  me  that  it  has  very  great  advantages. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY. CONTINUED. 

SINCE  the  Bible  is  the  one  book  that  we  study  in  the 
Sunday  school,  and  since  it  is  the  Word  of  the 
Living  God,  and  since  upon  its  right  understanding  so 
much  depends  in  the  lives  of  our  scholars,  it  is  apparent, 
at  once,  that  we  ought  to  be  well  informed  with  regard 
to  its  contents.  As  a  help  in  this  direction,  I  want  to 
deal  in  this  chapter  with  the  Book  itself. 

We  Teach  the  Most  Important  Book  in  All 
THE  World. — To  this  statement  all  give  unqualified 
assent.  This  Book  has  had  more  influence  on  the  up- 
lifting of  humanity  than  all  other  books  put  together. 
This  being  so,  it  is  evident  that  ours  is  a  most  important 
work.  For  we  believe  that  not  only  the  temporal  inter- 
ests of  our  scholars  will  be  largely  affected  by  their 
attitude  to  this  Book,  but  that  their  eternal  welfare 
depends  on  how  they  receive  its  teachings.  Rightly, 
then,  to  apprehend  the  work  that,  as  teachers  of  the 
Word  of  God,  we  are  called  upon  to  do,  is  to  realize  that 
ours  is  a  supremely  important  task. 

This  Book  Has  Some  Very  Strange  Peculiar- 
ities.—  It  was    written    by   many  men.      How  many 

76 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  77 

exactly  we  do  not  know.  But  about  thirty  men  were 
engaged  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume.  And  not 
about  that,  for  they  lived  in  different  times,  far  apart  the 
one  from  the  other.  Between  Moses  and  Paul  there 
are  fifteen  centuries  of  time.  Moreover,  these  men 
lived  in  different  countries,  some  being  in  Palestine, 
some  in  Rome,  Assyria,  Babylon,  and  other  parts  of 
the  world. 

Their  education  differed  much,  some,  like  Moses, 
having  had  the  best  educational  advantages  that  the 
world  could  offer,  and  others,  like  Amos  or  Peter,  hav- 
ing had  very  few  opportunities  for  culture.  Some  of 
them,  too,  were  rich,  and  some  poorer  than  poverty ; 
some  were  on  thrones,  like  David,  w^hile  others  were 
prisoners,  like  the  Apostle  John  when  he  wrote  the 
Revelation.  So  we  see  that  in  these  respects  this  Book 
is  different  from  any  other  book  that  the  world  has  ever 
seen. 

Yet  All  These  Various  Books  Point  to  One 
Man.  — Jesus  Christ  is  the  pivotal  character  to  whom 
all  point.  Moses,  the  Psalms,  and  the  Prophets,  all 
spake  of  him.  This  gives  to  all  these  various  books, 
by  various  authors,  written  at  different  times  and  in 
various  places,  a  unity  such  as  no  other  book  in  all 
the  w^orld  possesses.  And  when,  in  addition  to  all 
this,  w^e  remember  that  this  Book  was  written  by 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  we  begin  to 
realize  our  tremendous  responsibility  in  teaching  it  to 
others. 


78  ways  of  working. 

Of  Course,  in  Teaching  so  Wonderful  a  Book, 
we  must  know  more  than  the  mere  lesson  that  we  have 
to  handle  on  the  Sunday  with  our  classes.  Imagine, 
for  example,  a  teacher  teaching  a  class  about  the  death 
of  Lincoln,  who  at  the  same  time  knew  nothing  of  the 
causes  that  led  to  his  assassination  and  the  results  that 
flowed  from  it.  Should  we  not  say  that  that  teacher 
was  not  fitted  for  the  work  that  he  was  trying  to  do? 
Yet  there  are  many  teachers  in  our  Sunday  schools 
who  are  doing  just  this  same  thing.  They  know  some- 
thing about  the  particular  lesson  in  hand,  but  they  have 
very  little  idea  as  to  the  causes  that  led  to  the  events  of 
which  the  lesson  speaks,  or  of  the  consequences  that 
follow^ed.  This  is  ignorant  teaching  and  can  produce 
but  little  result.  Of  course,  I  know  that  God  can  bless 
the  foolishness  of  teaching,  but  I  also  know  that  he  is 
far  more  likely  to  bless  good  teaching  than  bad. 

"  But  I  Have  no  Time  to  Study  Much,"  says 
some  teacher  who  has  read  thus  far  in  this  chapter. 
*'  The  field  that  is  here  opened  up  is  too  wide  for  a 
busy  person  like  me  to  fully  master." 

Now,  widi  such  a  reply  I  have  the  greatest  sympathy. 
I  know  how  busy  many  of  our  best  teachers  are,  and 
that  if  they  are  to  become  masters  of  the  vjJiolc  Word 
before  they  teach  they  will  never  teach  at  all.  Yet  we 
can  ill  afford  to  lose  them  from  the  ranks  of  Sunday 
school  workers.  My  very  sympathy  with  them  has  led 
me  to  take  up  this  subject. 

I  want,  if  possible,  to  point  out  to   them   a  way  in 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY 


79 


which  they  can  gain  a  good  deal  more  knowledge  of 
the  Word  than  they  have,  with  small  expenditure  of  time 
and  Strength.  I  have  no  highway  of  study  that  shall 
make  effort  needless.  But  I  think  I  have  a  way  that, 
being  made  smooth  for  the  busy  teacher,  shall  lead  him 
farther  and  better  than  if  he  be  left  to  blaze  out  a  path- 
way for  himself. 

In  a  Collection  of  Books  Like  Those  of  the 
Bible  there  are  some  parts  that  are  most  important, 
others  that  are  important,  and  yet  others  that  are  of 
small  importance  relatively.  The  Levitical  ritual,  in 
many  of  its  details,  while  very  interesting  to  the  close 
student,  is  not  of  great  importance  to  the  average  scholar. 
To  fully  master  much  of  the  imagery  of  the  prophet 
Ezekiel  would  not  pay  for  the  labor  involved  on  the 
part  of  the  busy  teacher,  as  compared  with  the  study 
of  the  life  of  Christ  or  that  of  Paul. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  times  and  persons  about 
which  and  whom  not  to  be  well  informed  is  inexcusable. 
No  one  can  be  a  good  teacher  who  is  ignorant  in  these 
Hues.  About  crucial  times  and  great  leaders  we  must 
be  well  informed,  if  we  would  be  competent  to  lead  our 
classes.  Nor  is  this  so  difficult  as  may  at  first  sight 
appear.  A  little  careful  study  will  so  familiarize  us  with 
these  that  we  shall  feel  at  home  in  dealing  with  them.  In 
order  to  do  this,  the  very  first  thing  that  is  requisite  is 
that  we  should  know  the  outline  of 

The  Chronology  of  the  Bible.  — This  is  easy, 


8o  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

and  a  small  outline  that  shall  appeal  to  the  eye  may 
here  be  helpful  to  the  teacher,  as  it  has  been  to  me.  I 
take  it  from  the  ''  Chautauqua  outline,"  and  commend 


J  N  M  z 

it  to  the  careful  study  of  all  who  want  to  know  a  little 
of  Bible  times. 

The  line  above  represents  the  four  thousand  years 
between  Adam  and  Christ,  according  to  Usher's 
chronology.  These  four  thousand  years  we  have 
divided  into  sections  of  five  hundred  years  each,  and 
have  put  the  first  letter  of  the  name  of  the  most  promi- 
nent man  of  each  period  over  or  under  the  line. 

These  names,  then,  are  Adam,  Jared,  Enoch,  Noah, 
Abraham,  Moses,  Solomon,  Zerubbabel,  and  Christ. 
Surely  to  remember  this  is  not  hard.  But  when  remem- 
bered, see  how  it  will  help  in  all  your  chronological 
placing  of  the  Bible  characters !  You  can  at  once 
roughly  locate  any  event  or  person  in  the  whole  history, 
by  means  of  this  simple  chart. 

Have  You  a  Lesson  About  Isaac?  —  Then  he 
must  fall  in  the  space  between  the  second  A  and  M. 
Anything  whatever  that  happened  to  Israel  in  the  Land 
of  Promise  must  fall  between  M  and  C.  All  the  major 
and  most  of  the  minor  prophets  come  between  M  and  Z. 
Whatever  happened  in  the  times  of  the  Judges  is  to  be 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  8 1 

placed  between  M  and  S.  In  this  way,  you  see,  you 
can  easily  locate  all  persons  and  events,  at  least  approxi- 
mately, and  thus  gain  an  intelligent  idea  as  to  the  rela- 
tivity of  the  history  of  Israel.  This  is  no  small  matter, 
and  yet  many  teachers  have  no  clear  idea  of  the  chron- 
ology of  the  Word,  albeit  it  is  not  a  difficult  matter, 
and,  when  once  mastered,  helps  much  in  the  intelligent 
study  of  the  Word. 

Do  You  See  the  Arch  That  Spans  the  Space 
from  A  to  a  little  beyond  the  second  A  ?  That  repre- 
sents the  time  covered  by  the  one  book  of  Genesis.  I 
have  seen  teachers  express  great  surprise  when  they 
have  for  the  first  time  realized  what  a  wide  sweep  that 
one  book  has.  It  covers  more  time  than  all  the  ot/ie?" 
books  of  the  Bible  -put  together.  This  gives  us  a  new 
idea  of  the  importance  of  that  one  book.  It  shows  at  a 
glance  that  if  you  find  a  thing  in  Genesis  you  place  it 
in  the  time  covered  by  that  arch.  If  anything  is  found 
in  any  other  book,  it  must  fall  to  the  right  of  the  arch. 

Now  Get  to  Work  a  Little  Yourself.  —  I 
have  given  the  outline,  and  it  is  for  you  to  make 
further  use  of  it.  Never  read  anywhere  in  the  Word 
without  placing  the  part  that  you  read  in  its  proper  place 
on  this  chart.  Never  try  to  study  a  lesson  without  being 
sure  where  it  belongs  among  the  divisions  given  here. 
Be  a  little  patient  in  this,  and,  I  assure  you,  presently 
you  will  begin  to  realize  what  a  help  this  simple  device 
is  to  you.     It  would  be  well  for  you  to  take  time  and 


82 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


draw  a  chart  for  yourself,  and  then  locate  by  letters, 
first,  the  great  personages  of  the  Old  Testament  on  it, 
and  then,  on  another  chart,  all  the  prophets,  as  nearly 
as  you  can.  Since  they  all  fall  between  S  and  a  little 
after  Z,  you  might  draw  a  larger  chart  of  that  five  hun- 
dred years,  and  then  subdivide  that  into  sections  of  one 
hundred  (or  fifty)  years,  each,  and  place  the  prophets 
in  their  proper  order  in  that  enlarged  chart.  This  will 
make  clear  to  you  the  relation  of  the  major  and  minor 
prophets. 

Below  You  Will  Find  This  Done  for  You,  but 
it  will  be  far  better  if  you  will  take  a  piece  of  paper  and 
do  it  over  again  for  yourself,  as  that  will  fix  it  in  your 
mind  much  more  firmly  than  if  you  simply  glance  at 
what  some  one  else  has  done  for  you. 


EJ 


H  I 


I  GOO 


900 


800 


J  D 


700 


600 


500 


Here  you  see  the  five  hundred  years  from  Solomon  to 
Zerubbabel,  the  dates  being  those  b.c.  In  these  sec- 
tions I  have  placed  the  names  of  the  prophets,  Elijah, 
Elisha,  Jonah,  Hosea,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Daniel,  Eze- 
kiel,  and  Haggai.  Malachi  falls  afle^-  Zerubbabel. 
Of  course  the  date  is  only  approximately  marked  in 
each  case,  but  it  is  near  enough  to  serve  all  practical 
purposes. 


private  lesson  study.  83 

But  This  Will  Give  You  Only  a  Rough  Out- 
line of  Bible  chronology.  Something  more  than  this 
is  needed.  And  if  you  have  mastered  this,  I  am  sure 
that  you  will  be  willing  to  go  on  a  little  further. 

As  I  said  a  moment  ago,  there  are  some  periods  and 
some  persons  in  Bible  history  that  are  of  more  impor- 
tance than  others.  With  these  we  should  aim  to  be 
well  acquainted,  just  as  we  aim  to  be  with  regard  to  the 
more  important  periods  of  our  own  national  history.  Of 
these  I  will  only  call  attention  to  four.  Not  that  I 
would  not  like  to  speak  of  others,  but  that  I  fear  to 
frighten  the  busy  teacher  into  saying,  '*  Well^  it  is  just 
as  I  thought.  He  began  sinifly.,  but  nozu  he  has  gone 
off  just  like  all  the  j-est  of  them,  and  lays  out  so  much 
work  that  it  is  a  sheer  impossibility  for  7ne  to  attempt 

itr 

Now,  do  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  in  passing 
your  judgment.  Only  try  what  I  am  about  to  suggest, 
and  then  judge.  But  do  not  judge  beforehand.  If, 
after  trying  to  do  as  I  suggest,  you  find  it  is  not  in 
the  range  of  your  ability,  then  stop.  But  do  not  stop 
before  you  have  started.  This  is  what  makes  so  many 
failures. 

The  First  of  These  Periods  is  That  of  the 
Great  Abraham. — When  God  called  him  he  began 
the  formation  of  that  remarkable  people  through  whom 
more  of  divine  truth  has  come  to  the  world  than  through 
all  other  peoples  put  together.  Surely,  then,  this  is  an 
important   period,    and   we,   as  teachers   of  the   Word, 


84  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

should  be  well  acquainted  with  it.  Moreover,  it  is  a 
most  interesting  period  of  history,  and  revolves  around 
tliree  names,  namely,  those  of  father,  son,  and  grand- 
son. 

The  mere  careful  reading  of  the  Bible  story  here, 
though  good  in  itself,  is  not  enough.  The  teacher  must 
have  some  help  outside  of  this.  This  help  must  be 
condensed  and  interesting  at  the  same  time,  and,  above 
all,  clcaj'.  I  know  of  just  such  a  help,  and  say  that  it 
can  be  found  in  a  small  but  remarkable  book,  entitled 
"Ages  before  Moses,"  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Gibson.  Any 
good  bookseller  will  get  it  for  you.  It  costs  about 
seventy-five  cents. 

Though  small,  it  is  a  most  fascinating  book,  and  the 
chapter  on  the  "Perspective  of  the  Bible  "  will  throw 
more  light  on  the  Word  than  many  volumes  of  the 
ordinary  commentary  style.  Read  it  carefully,  if  pos- 
sible marking  those  passages  that  seem  to  you  the  most 
important.  (And  here  let  me  tell  you  a  secret.  A 
good  book  well  read  and  digested  is  of  far  more  value 
than  ten  big  books  carelessly  read.  And,  in  general,  I 
have  found  that  the  bigger  a  book  is,  the  less  I  get 
from  it  of  value.) 

The  Second  of  These  Periods  is  That  of  Moses. 
—  Of  all  the  men  in  the  Old  Testament  times,  he  was 
w'ithout  controversy  tlie  greatest.  To  him  was  given  a 
larger  revelation  than  to  any  man  before  Paul.  He 
had  the  gigantic  task  of  amalgamating  the  nation  and 
instructing  them  in  spiritual  things,   and,  above  all,  to 


PRIVATE    LESSON    STUDY.  85 

him  was  given  the  revelation  of  that  system  of  typology 
that  spoke  of  the  Messiah.  In  all  the  story  of  Moses, 
the  most  important  thing  for  the  Bible  teacher  is  not  the 
mere  history,  but  that  great  object  lesson  of  Tabernacle, 
Priest,  and  Sacrifice  which  typified  the  suffering  and 
work  of  the  Son  of  God. 

The  well-instructed  teacher  simply  MUST  know  the 
meaning  of  all  the  ceremonial  if  he  would  understand 
the  full  meaning  of  the  work  of  Christ.  For  here  we 
have  a  threefold  set  of  lessons,  all  of  which  point  to  the 
Saviour.  First,  the  Tabernacle,  then  the  High  Priest, 
and,  finally,  the  sacrifices.  For  a  careful  and  practical 
understanding  of  this  threefold  set  of  types,  I  commend 
"Christ  in  the  Tabernacle,"  by  White,  a  small  book, 
but  most  instructive.  It  costs  about  seventy-five  cents, 
and  is  well  illustrated  with  colored  pictures. 

The  Third  Important  Period  to  which  I  will  call 
attention  is  the  time  of  Christ.  It  is  too  bad  that  so 
many  of  our  teachers  are  so  poorly  acquainted  with 
this.  Many  of  them  have  not  even  read  any  life  of 
Christ ;  some  being  discouraged  by  the  size  of  these 
works,  and  others  by  their  price.  Well,  here,  as  in  so 
many  other  cases,  it  is  not  the  biggest  book  that  is  the 
best  for  the  average  teacher. 

I  have  read  lives  of  Christ  by  Drs.  Deems,  Crosby, 
Hanna,  Farrar,  Geikie,  and  Edersheim.  But  all  of  them 
put  together  have  not  helped  me  as  much  in  a  practical 
way  as  the  small  "  Life  of  Christ"  by  Dr.  Stalker.  Get 
that.      It  is  small  and  cheap.      It  will  give  you  a  clearer 


86  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

idea  of  the  life  of  the  Master  than  any  otner  book  of  its 
size  that  I  know  of.  Study  it  well,  and  then  see  if  it 
does  not  pay  you  for  all  your  effort. 

The  Fourth  Important  Period  to  which  I  will  call 
attention  is  that  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  He  had  more  to 
do  with  the  formation  of  the  Christian  Church  and  the 
spread  of  the  truth  than  any  of  the  other  apostles,  and 
it  is  important  that  you  should  be  well  acquainted  with 
his  work.  As  Moses  was  the  greatest  man  in  the  Old 
Testament,  so  Paul  was  the  greatest  of  all  the  New 
Testament  characters  (of  course  excepting  Christ). 
Here,  again,  fortunately,  I  can  commend  a  small  and 
cheap  book.  It  is  the  life  of  Paul,  written  by  Dr. 
Stalker,  and  can  be  found  on  any  bookseller's  counter. 

Now  I  AM  Filled  with  Fear.  —  For  I  am  sure 
that  some  of  those  who  have  read  thus  far  will  make  up 
their  minds  that  they  will  try  the  course  I  have  outlined 
some  day.  But  day  by  day  will  slip  by  and  they  will 
postpone  the  beginning  of  this  study  till  all  that  has 
been  said  will  have  passed  from  memory,  and  the  work 
remain  undone.  What  then?  Why,  send  at  once  for 
one  of  the  books  alluded  to  and  try  to  master  that,  and 
then  I  am  sure  that  you  will  not  be  content  till  you  have 
done  the  same  with  the  other  three.  They  are  all  small, 
but  clear,  and  interesting,  and  cheap.  What  more 
could  you  ask? 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE    ART    OF    QUESTIONING. 

MANY  Teachers  Think  that  if  they  only  talk 
through  the  lesson  time  to  their  scholars  they 
have  taught  the  lesson.  There  can  be  no  greater  mis- 
take than  this.  For  "  lecturing''  is  by  no  means  neces- 
sarily teaching.  You  may  talk  for  half  an  hour  to  your 
class,  and  they  be  but  little  wiser  when  you  get  through 
than  they  were  at  the  beginning.  In  large  adult  classes, 
where  there  are  timid  ladies,  you  may  be  obliged  to 
do  such  lecturing,  but  it  never  is  as  good  as  the  collo- 
quial manner  of  question  and  answer.  For  this  latter 
keeps  the  attention  of  the  class  by  the  very  change  of 
speaker,  and  by  the  natural  inclination  of  the  human 
mind  to  pay  attention  to  a  question  and  to  its  answer  as 
well.  The  advantages  of  this  method  are  many,  and  to 
some  of  them  I  wish  to  call  especial  attention. 

A  Question  May  be  Used  to  Test  Knowl- 
edge.—  In  fact,  there  is  no  other  way  of  doing  this  so 
simple  and  direct.  Many  a  time  the  teacher  thinks 
that  the  class  has  clearer  ideas  than  they  really  have, 
and  by  a  simple  question  finds  out  her  mistake.  For 
example,  a  teacher  in  my  school  once  asked  a  scholar 
who    the    Pharisees    were.     The    reply  was    that    they 


88  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

were  people  living  in  Paris.  (The  child  had  in  read- 
ing pronounced  the  word  "  Parisees.") 

The  question  brought  out  the  ignorance  of  the 
scholar,  and  enabled  the  teacher  to  correct  the  mis- 
understanding. This  is  why  so  often  in  your  lesson 
hints  you  see  the  words  "  draw  out  the  lesson  facts  by 
appropriate  questions."  Unless  you  do  this,  you  can 
never  be  sure  that  your  class  even  knows  what  the  les- 
son is  about. 

A  Question  May  Help  to    Fix    Knowledge.  — 

Not  so  much  that  which  we  hear  as  that  which  we  tell 
is  fixed  in  our  minds.  We  hear  much  that  goes  in  at 
one  ear  and  out  at  the  other.  But  that  which  we  tell 
again  is  apt  to  be  embedded  in  our  memories.  Many  a 
scholar  may  think  that  he  knows  his  lesson,  and  yet 
when  he  comes  to  tell  it  will  find  that  he  does  not  know 
it  as  well  as  he  thought  that  he  did.  The  telling  of  it 
will  help  vastly  to  make  the  knowledge  acquired  perma- 
nent, and  this  is  no  small  matter.  For  if  we  only  could 
fix  all  that  we  ever  knew,  what  wise  people  we  should 
be.  It  is  very  important,  therefore,  that  the  wise  teacher 
should  use  questions  for  this  needful  purpose. 

A  Question  May  Help  to  Clarify  Knowl- 
edge.—  Much  of  our  knowledge  is  muddy,  and  not 
clear.  It  requires  but  little  experience  in  dealing  with 
scholars  to  find  this  out.  They  have  vague,  general 
ideas,  and  have  never  taken  the  trouble  to  clarify  what 
they  have  acquired.     For  example,  most  scholars  know 


THE    ART    OF    QUESTIONING.  89 

that  Palestine  in  the  days  of  Christ  was  divided  into 
three  divisions,  and  some  of  them  know  also  that  these 
divisions  were  called  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Galilee.  But 
the  geographical  relationship  of  these  three  provinces 
is  not  so  clear  to  many.  By  asking  a  simple  question 
you  may  clarify  their  minds. 

For  example,  if  you  ask,  "Which  of  these  three 
provinces  was  the  most  northern  ? "  you  at  once  set 
their  minds  to  work,  clarifying  what  knowledge  they 
have,  and  the  result  will  be  that  when  they  have  an- 
swered that  question  they  will  have  a  clearer  idea  of 
these  sections  than  they  had  before.  This  applies  to 
every  department  of  knowledge. 

A  Question  May  be  Used  to  Arouse  Interest. 
—  One  of  the  troubles  of  teachers  is  found  in  the  lan- 
guid interest  that  their  scholars  take  in  the  lessons. 
This  is  especially  true  in  those  classes  where  the  teacher 
does  most  of  the  talking.  A  remedy  for  this  may  be 
found  in  the  judicious  asking  of  questions.  All  scholars 
like  to  answer  a  question  the  answer  to  which  they 
know.  It  is  natural  to  feel  so.  If,  then,  the  teacher 
wisely  asks  questions  of  the  languid  scholar,  he  will,  nine 
times  out  of  ten,  arouse  him  or  her  to  some  mental  action. 
This  is  what  we  are  after  ;  for  unless  we  reach  this  result 
we  shall  have  no  results,  either  intellectual  or  spiritual. 

For  example,  if  you  have  a  very  dull  scholar,  and 
the  lesson  is  about  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen,  you  can 
always  arrest  that  child's  attention  by  some  question 
Hke  this,   "Mary,   did  vou  ever  see   a   man   stoned  to 


go  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

death  ? "  The  stupidest  scholar  will  answer  such  a 
question  as  this.  Or,  if  the  lesson  is  about  Paul,  you 
might  arouse  the  very  dullest  by  suddenly  asking, 
"  Henry,  did  you  ever  hear  a  murderer  preach?"  Of 
course  these  are  extreme  examples  of  questioning,  but  I 
have  often  had  recourse  to  such  questions  when  I  have 
had  unusually  dull  scholars. 

Study  your  class,  and  then  ask  such  questions  as 
will  force  them  to  pay  attention,  and  will  arouse  their 
interest. 

A  Question  May  be  Used  to  Rebuke  Folly. — 
Every  experienced  teacher  knows  that  this  is  true. 
There  are  wise  young  men  (that  is,  wise  in  their  own 
conceits)  who  must  be  at  times  put  to  confusion  by  a 
wisely  directed  question  that  will  expose  their  ignorance 
and  rebuke  their  folly. 

A  teacher  of  my  acquaintance  once  had  a  young  man 
in  his  class  who  used  often  to  say,  '*  I  cannot  Believe 
what  I  cannot  understand."     He  thought  this  was  smart. 

One  day  they  were  passing  a  field  in  which  there 
were  sheep,  horses,  and  geese,  and  all  happened  to  be 
eating  grass.  The  teacher  called  his  attention  to  this, 
and  then  said,  ''See,  they  are  all  eating  grass;  but  in 
the  horse  part  of  this  is  made  into  hair ;  in  the  sheep, 
into  wool ;  and  in  the  goose,  into  feathers.  Can  you 
tell  me  HOW  this  is  done?" 

"  No,"  said  the  boy. 

"  Then  I  will  not  believe  it,"  responded  the  teacher; 
'*  for  I  will  not  believe  what  I  cannot  understand," 


THE    ART    OF    QUESTIONING.  9I 

This  was  enough  for  that  boy,  and  he  never  again 
uttered  that  foolish  statement. 

A  Question  May  be  Used  to  Develop  Thought. 
—  Suppose  that  the  lesson  is  on  Moses,  and  the  teacher 
asks,  "  Henry,  who  do  you  think  was  the  greatest  man 
in  the  Old  Testament?"  This  will  lead  the  boy  to 
think,  and  even  if  he  gives  the  wrong  answer  he  will 
still  have  done  some  mental  work,  and  if  wrong,  can 
then  be  corrected.  The  trouble  with  so  many  of  our 
scholars  is  that  they  do  not  think  about  what  they  read 
and  learn.  One  conclusion  reached  by  the  scholar  as  the 
result  of  his  own  thought  is  worth  ten  conclusions  that  he 
merely  accepts  because  his  teacher  gives  them  to  him. 

A  Question  May  Lead  to  Immediate  Action.  — 
Only  last  Sunday,  after  the  preaching  service,  there 
came  an  earnest  young  lady  into  the  inquiry-room,  to 
meet  the  preacher  and  a  friend  of  his.  She  was  full 
in  earnest,  but  was  afraid  to  decide.  The  gentleman 
friend  said,  "If  Jesus  were  himself  here,  and  should 
ask  you  to  give  him  your  hand  in  token  of  loval  alle- 
giance to  him,  would  you  do  it?'" 

*' Yes,"  she  replied. 

"  Now,  I  ask  you  in  his  place  to  give  me  your  hand  in 
token  that  you  take  him  as  your  friend.     Will  you  do  it  ?  " 

*' Yes,"  she  again  replied,  and  at  once  they  grasped 
each  other's  hands. 

The  question  led  her  to  take  action  that  she  had  long 
deferred,   and    yet    action   which    she   had   known   that 


p2  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

she  ought  to  take.  This  will  often  be  found  to  be 
the  case,  and  a  direct  personal  question  may  lead  the 
scholar  to  take  action  which  she  would  never  take  with- 
out the  push  of  that  question.  This  is  a  most  important 
use  of  the  question,  and  yet  one  which  too  many  teachers 
never  make.      Have  you  ever  tried  it?     If  not,  why  not? 

Now  All  This  Means  that  the  teacher  must  get 
the  scholar  to  talk,  and  that  to  this  end  questions  are 
indispensable.  Unless  you  reach  this  result  you  ought 
to  be  thoroughly  dissatisfied  with  your  teaching,  for  it 
is  not  as  good  as  it  should  be.  You  may  be  a  lecturer, 
but  you  are  not  a  teacher. 

Now  You  Reply  (for  it  is  time  that  you  said  some- 
thing), "  I  have  tried  this  and  it  has  proved  a  failure." 
Well,  that  may  be,  and  yet  what  I  have  said  may  also  be 
true.  For  there  are  ways  and  ways  of  questioning.  I 
have  heard  some  questioning  that  I  did  not  wonder 
brought  no  reply. 

I  used  to  have  an  elder  in  a  church  who  tried  to  ques- 
tion those  who  applied  for  admission  to  the  church,  and 
in  the  cases  of  the  little  ones  the  process  was  not  only 
futile,  but  painful.  This  was  about  the  style  of  ques- 
tion that  he  put :  "  Now,  Mary,  we  know  that  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  God's  children,  and  the  fore- 
knowledge and  wisdom  of  God  are  perfect  and  his  ways 
past  finding  out ;  and  in  view  of  all  this,  do  3^ou  think 
that  at  all  times  you  will  be  submissive  to  his  divine 
ordinances  ?  " 


THE    ART    OF    QUESTIONING.  93 

To  this  what  could  poor  Mary  answer?  But  if  he 
had  said,  "  Mary,  dear,  do  you  want  always  to  do  what 
God  w^ants  you  to?"  he  would  have  gotten  a  square 
and  true  answer.  This  leads  me  to  give  some  of  the 
requirements  of  good  questioning. 

Put  Your  Questions  in  Simple  Words. — Ses- 
quipedalian w^ords  are  always  bad  for  children  and  all 
plain  people.  Cultivate  simplicity  to  the  utmost  pos- 
sible limit.  YOU  CANNOT  BE  TOO  SIMPLE. 
This  is  the  way  men  talk  in  their  business,  and  w^hy 
should  we  not  do  the  same  in  our  religion?  Stilted 
talk  is  the  purest  folly  in  this  matter,  and  only  con- 
fuses, instead  of  helping. 

Make  Your  Questions  Short. — Instead  of  say- 
ing, "What  do  you  think  were  the  characteristics  of 
the  Apostle  Paul?"  say,  ''What  kind  of  a  man  w^as 
Paul?"  Aim  at  brevity,  for  in  that  is  powder.  Long 
and  involved  questions  only  serve  to  confuse,  and  thus 
discourage  your  scholar.  It  may  require  some  practice 
to  do  this  successfully,  but  the  result  is  well  worth  the 
labor  it  requires. 

Make  Your  Questions  Direct. — Take  as  an  ex- 
ample the  lesson  on  Philip  and  the  Ethiopian.  Ask 
questions  like  the  following  :  — 

"  Give  the  name  of  the  man  to  whom  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  spoke." 

"What  did  he  tell  him?" 


94  WAYS    OF    WORKING.  '' 

**Did  Philip  obey?" 

**  Whom  did  he  meet  on  the  way?  " 

**  What  was  the  eunuch  doing  at  this  time?  " 

*'  In  what  prophet  was  he  reading?  " 

"What  question  did  Phihp  ask  him?" 

"What  did  he  reply?" 

"  What  was  the  result  of  their  conversation?  " 

This  is  the  style  of  short  and  direct  questions  that  I 
advocate.  The  scholars  like  them,  and  they  help  to 
clarify  the  minds  of  the  class,  and  bring  out  the  main 
facts  of  the  lesson  clearly. 

Sometimes  Ask  the  Question  of  the  whole  class, 
and  let  the  first  one  answer  that  can.  This  makes  them 
wide-awake  and  gives  a  lively  movement  to  the  teach- 
ing. The  scholar's  pride  is  aroused  as  to  who  shall  be 
the  first  to  reply,  and  if  not  carried  too  far,  this  is  a 
good  result.      But  there  is  danger  here,  and  so 

Sometimes  Ask  the  Question  of  some  individual 
in  the  class.  Then  do  not  let  any  one  else  reply,  for 
that  will  only  confuse  matters  and  hurt  the  feelings  of 
the  one  whose  answer  has  thus  been  anticipated.  We 
must  care  for  the  dull  ones  as  well  as  for  those  who  are 
wide-awake,  and  not  let  the  latter  monopolize  all  the 
answers.  If  you  have  asked  the  question  of  one  scholar, 
and  she  does  not  give  an  answer,  do  not  give  it  up. 
The  fault  may  be  not  in  the  scholar,  but  in  the  question 
that  you  have  put  to  her.  Then  vary  the  question,  and 
see  if  in  some  way  you  cannot  still  get  a  satisfactory 


THE    ART    OF    QUESTlONINCi.  95 

answer.     This  will  show  the  scholar  that  you  are  ready 
to  take  painj  with  her,  and  will  gratify  her. 

At  Other  Times  Ask  a  General  Question,  tell- 
ing the  class  to  be  ready  to  give  the  answer  as  soon  as 
you  call  for  it,  but  not  before.  This  gives  them  all  an 
even  chance.  Then  call  on  some  scholar  by  name,  and 
ask  for  the  correct  answer.  If  that  one  cannot  give  it, 
ask  the  others  in  turn,  or  throw  the  answer  out  for  any 
one  to  give.  Whatever  you  do,  do  not  be  stereotyped 
in  your  methods,  for  variety  is  the  spice  of  a  great  many 
things  in  this  life. 

It  is  a  Good  Thing  for  inexperienced  teachers  to 
write  out  their  own  questions  beforehand.  You  may 
reply  that  this  is  not  necessary,  for  you  have  the  printed 
questions  in  the  lesson  helps,  and  they  will  answer 
every  purpose.  No ;  they  w^ill  not  do  half  as  well  as 
your  own,  prepared  with  a  view  of  meeting  the  needs 
of  your  own  class.  No  one  else  can  do  as  well  for  my 
class  as  I  can,  provided  I  take  the  pains  that  are  called 
for  in  my  preparation. 

Then  take  these  questions  into  the  class  with  you,  if 
you  are  timid,  and  use  them  for  awhile.  You  will  not 
have  done  this  long  before  you  find  that  you  do  not 
need  them,  and  will  leave  them  at  home.  But  you  will 
after  a  time  make  a  further  advance  in  the  line  of  inde- 
pendence, and  find  the  questions  will  suggest  them- 
selves, without  your  taking  the  trouble  of  writing  them 
down  at  home. 


96 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


This  is  the  true  hixury  of  teaching,  when  you  have 
only  to  be  sure  that  you  have  mastered  the  matter  and 
the  main  Hnes  of  thought  that  you  wish  to  pursue,  while 
all  the  rest  takes  care  of  itself. 

And  Now  I  Fancy  I  Hear  Some  One  Say,  "It 
is  of  no  use ;  I  have  tried  all  this  before,  and  it  was  a 
dismal  failure ;  so  I  have  gone  back  to  the  old  way 
of  relying  on  the  questions  in  the  lesson  helps." 

Well,  then,  I  am  truly  sorry  for  you,  for  you  have 
gone  from  a  good  thing  to  a  bad.  It  takes  some  time 
to  become  an  expert  in  the  wise  asking  of  questions. 
Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,  and  you  thought  that  suc- 
cess was  going  to  come  to  you  too  soon.  A  good  thing 
always  has  to  be  worked  for,  and  the  power  of  handling 
questions  to  good  effect  is  a  very  great  gift,  which  can 
be  had  only  if  you  are  willing  to  work  for  it. 

All  teachers  who  have  excelled  in  this  line  have  done 
so  only  by  hard  work  and  a  vast  deal  of  practice.  You, 
too,  can,  if  you  will  put  as  much  effort  into  it  as  they 
did.  Try  again,  and  if,  after  you  have  really  tried  for 
one  year,  you  find  that  you  are  no  nearer  the  goal  than 
you  are  now,  write  to  me,  and  I  will  take  back  all  that 
I  have  said  on  this  whole  question.  But  before  you 
write  to  me  ask  your  scholars  what  they  think  about 
your  progress,  and  if  they  say  that  they  enjoy  your 
teaching  better  than  they  used  to,  you  may  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  have  really  made  progress,  and  so 
need  not  write  to  me.  This  will  save  you  some  time 
and  one  stamp. 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    TEACHER    OUTSIDE:    OF    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL. 
BY    MRS.    A.     F.     SCHAUFFLER. 

AS  A  Teacher  You  Must  not  be  Satisfied  with 
the  influence  you  are  able  to  exert  during  the  hour 
and  a  half  of  the  Sunday  school  session.  Little  oppor- 
tunity is  given  there  for  ascertaining  the  scholars'  true 
character  and  daily  habits.  And  how  can  you  talk  to 
the  members  of  your  class  about  meeting  temptations,  if 
you  have  not  the  least  idea  what  those  temptations  are? 
Think  of  the  proportion  of  time  that  they  are  with  you 
compared  with  the  rest  of  their  lives  !  One  hour  and  a 
half  out  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  hours  is  spent 
with  you  every  week  !  Do  not  wonder  that  you  do  so 
little  with  your  class,  but  wonder  that  you  do  anything. 

No  Teacher  Can  Possibly  Teach  in  the  best  way 
who  does  not  know  the  home  life  of  each  scholar.  Has 
he  the  blessing  of  a  Christian  home,  or  the  misery  of  a 
drunken  father  and  broken-hearted,  despairing  mother? 
Ascertain  the  home  surroundings  of  every  one  of  your 
pupils  as  soon  as  possible  by  a  visit.  Be  sure  to  time 
your  visit  judiciously.  If  it  is  to  a  family  where  the 
mother  does  her  own  work,  be  careful  to  go  in  the  after- 
noon, at  the  end  of  the  week;  for  the  reception  will  be 


98  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

very  different  which  you  will  meet  if  you  go  then  from 
what  it  would  be  if  you  surprised  the  mother  in  the 
midst  of  the  family  washing  and  ironing.  Even  if  the 
parents  are  not  church-goers  themselves,  they  will  be 
pleased  at  your  interest  in  their  children,  and  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  you  will  meet  with  a  friendly  welcome. 

The  Opportunity  for  Direct  Work  for  the  par- 
ents often  opens  before  the  teacher  in  the  easiest  possi- 
ble way,  and  the  invitation  to  attend  church  services 
may  be  quite  naturally  followed  up  by  an  earnest  invi- 
tation to  accept  Christ  as  a  Saviour.  Be  sure  that  you 
do  not  fail  to  enter  this  open  door  of  opportunity,  for  it 
may  be  that  God  has  given  you  a  larger  work  to  do  in 
the  home  than  in  the  class.  ''  He  who  lays  his  hand 
on  a  child's  head  lays  it  upon  the  mother's  heart "  ;  so, 
if  you  are  a  loving  teacher,  the  door  is  open.  If  you 
find  that  the  parents  are  not  Christians,  and  the  children 
are,  do  not  fail  to  ask  them  to  pray  for  their  parents' 
conversion,  joining  with  them,  and  encouraging  their 
efforts  by  dwelling  on  the  promises  made  to  those  who 
ask  in  faith. 

Make  Great  Use  of  the  Pen  in  your  intercourse 
with  your  scholars.  Many  of  them  never  receive  a 
letter  all  the  year  through,  so  that,  if  you  write,  it  will 
be  a  great  event  for  them,  and  your  letters  will  long  be 
treasured  to  be  read  and  re-read.  You  can  say  some 
things  better  in  a  letter  than  you  can  face  to  face. 
Never  use  a  postal  card  for  anything  of  a  private  nature, 


TEACHER    OUTSIDE    OF    THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.        99 

but  always  a  sealed  letter,  or  the  entire  family  will  be 
likely  to  read  the  postal  before  your  scholar  ever  sees 
it.  Do  not  forget  judicious  praise  when  it  is  possible  to 
give  it.     Praise  goes  farther  than  blame. 

When  Aw^ay  from  Your  Class  in  the  happy  holi- 
day time,  do  not  forget  to  send  back  cheerful,  bright 
letters  to  the  stay-at-home  ones,  enclosing  a  tiny  photo- 
graph or  a  pressed  flower,  to  prove  that  you  are  think- 
ing of  them  even  when  far  away ;  or,  if  you  are  the 
one  to  remain  at  home,  write  to  the  scholars  who  are 
absent,  so  that,  in  the  midst  of  new  scenes  and  new 
temptations,  they  may  be  reminded  of  all  good  Sunday 
school  influences. 

Ascertain  the  Birthdays  of  all  the  members  of 
your  class,  and  write  to  them,  on  these  occasions,  earnest 
words  of  warning,  tender  words  of  sympathy,  or  hearty 
words  of  commendation,  as  your  heart  prompts  you. 
There  is  a  touch  of  sentiment  about  a  birthday  greeting 
which  makes  it  go  farther  than  an  ordinary  letter. 

How  Far  the  Example  of  the  Teacher  Goes 
only  the  future  will  disclose.  The  teacher  never  knows 
when  he  is  being  watched  by  the  keenly  critical  eyes  of 
his  scholar.  It  is  wonderful  how  sharp  and  bright 
young  eyes  can  be,  and  how  they  can  look  beneath 
the  surface. 

A  voung  girl  once  came  before  the  session  of  a 
church    in    New    York    and    applied    for    membership. 


lOO  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

When  asked  what  first  fixed  her  attention  on  divine 
things,  she  replied  :  "It  was  my  Sunday  school  teach- 
er's behavior  in  church.  I  sat  just  behind  her,  and 
when  I  saw  her  reverent  and  earnest  attention  to  the 
whole  service,  week  after  week,  it  was  impressed  on 
my  heart  that  the  things  which  she  so  loved  must  be 
worth  loving,  and  I  began  to  listen  for  myself." 

And  yet,  perchance,  this  very  teacher  was  discour- 
aged and  thought  that  she  was  accomplishing  nothing. 
Who  can  estimate  the  power  of  a  godly  life?  Dr. 
Stalker  says :  "Public  life  for  God  must  be  preceded 
by  private  life  with  God  ;  unless  God  has  first  spoken 
to  a  man,  it  is  vain  for  a  man  to  attempt  to  speak  for 
God." 

Inducing  One  Scholar  to  Influence  Another 
is  a  capital  way  of  working.  Strong  friendships  exist 
among  the  scholars,  and  often  the  best  results  can  be 
obtained  by  a  wise  use  of  this  fact.  If  one,  in  a  pair 
of  friends,  seems  more  steady  than  the  other,  beg  the 
steady  one  to  bring  his  friend  to  the  Sunday  service  or 
the  weekly  prayer  meeting.  All  that  is  best  in  the 
pupil  is  thus  roused  into  action,  and  his  influence  pro- 
duces effects  which  you  alone  could  never  have  accom- 
plished. On  the  other  hand,  the  teacher  sometimes  has 
the  sadness  of  seeing  a  steady  scholar  led  away  by  a 
wayward  one,  and  then  hard  work  and  much  prayer 
will  alone  suffice  to  bring  back  the  wanderers.  Watch 
the  friendships  in  your  class,  and  see  in  which  way 
they  are  leading  your  scholars. 


TEACHER  OUTSIDE  OK  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL.  lOI 

Sometimes  You  Will  Find  these  friendships  in 
your  class  suddenly  broken  up  by  pique  or  jealousy  ; 
and  then  comes  the  teacher's  golden  opportunity  to  win 
the  reward  promised  to  the  peacemaker.  Try  to  ascer- 
tain the  cause  of  the  trouble.  Make  a  wise  effort  to 
smooth  things  over ;  dwell  on  the  beauty  and  power  of 
true  friendship  and  the  sweetness  of  humility  in  God's 
sight.  If  you  can  induce  the  offending  one  to  say, 
"I  am  sorry  ;  please  forgive  me,"  to  the  injured  friend, 
your  evening  prayer  will  be  sweet,  and  your  pillow  will 
be  one  of  peace.  Often  these  quarrels  have  no  better 
cause  for  existing  than  —  "Somebody  said  you  said 
I  was  —  "  A  quarrel  of  great  height  and  breadth  can 
be  built  on  a  foundation  so  slender.  If  you  have  the 
skill  to  shatter  the  foundation  by  proving  that  it  was 
never  there,  the  quarrel  soon  will  come  to  a  peaceful  end. 

Redouble  All  Your  Efforts  as  your  scholars 
arrive  at  the  age  of  sixteen  or  seventeen.  This  is  the 
crucial  period  in  their  lives,  and  many  drift  away  then 
from  church  and  Sunday  school  who  up  to  that  time 
have  been  full  of  promise.  The  world  surges  around 
them  as  thev  reach  an  age  of  independent  thought  and 
action,  and  the  strong  sudden  tide  too  often  carries  them 
away.  Only  this  week  I  heard  of  a  mother  lamenting 
over  her  son,  a  lad  of  seventeen,  who  seldom  goes  to 
Sunday  school  now,  and  yet  for  several  years  he  won 
the  reward  for  regular  attendance,  never  missing  a  Sun- 
day. He  has  begun  to  drift.  Look  out  for  such  cases 
as  this,  and  speak  in  time. 


I02  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

Attention  in  Time  of  Illness.  —  Illness  among 
the  scholars  gives  the  teachers  a  grand  opportunity  for 
service.  If  there  is  poverty  in  the  house,  there  is  need 
of  food  and  other  comforts.  If  there  is  lingering  sick- 
ness, either  among  rich  or  poor,  there  is  the  need  of  visits 
to  cheer  the  patient,  or  to  comfort  those  who  care  for 
the  invalid.  By  all  means  impress  on  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  class  their  privilege  in  such  cases.  Some- 
times it  is  possible  for  all  the  class  to  go  together  to  sing 
hymns  and  hold  a  little  prayer  meeting  in  the  sick-room. 
Best  of  all  the  gospel  message  can  be  pressed  home  to 
the  heart  in  the  quiet  hours  of  enforced  rest,  when  the 
world  is  temporarily  shut  out.  Perhaps  you  may  have  a 
"  shut-in  "  one  among  your  scholars,  who  can  never  come 
to  the  school,  and  yet  is  able  to  study  the  weekly  lesson. 

Attend  the  Teachers'  Meeting  if  3^ou  possibly 
can.  Encourage  the  older  members  of  your  class  to  go 
with  you,  if  they  are  advanced  enough  to  act  as  substi- 
tute teachers.  Ask  them  in  turn  to  be  prepared  to  act 
as  substitutes,  so  that  the  same  ones  need  not  be  called 
upon  every  Sunday.  Be  faithful  in  attending  all  the 
church  services,  and  watch  for  your  scholars  when 
there.  If  they  have  no  regular  seat,  invite  them  to  sit 
with  you,  or  go  and  sit  with  them  in  the  free  pews.  It 
is  hard  to  go  to  church  Sunday  after  Sunday  alone,  with 
no  one  to  care  whether  you  go  or  not ;  and  a  teacher  can 
do  much  to  keep  up  an  interest  in  the  services  by  being 
always  ready  to  greet  her  scholars  with  a  welcoming 
smile. 


TEACHER  OUTSIDE  OF  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL.   IO3 

Pray  with  and  for  Your  Pupils. — Pray  for 
them  by  name  in  your  daily  devotions ;  and  do  not  for- 
get to  give  hearty  thanks  w^hen  your  prayers  are  heard 
and  your  pupils  begin  to  lead  consistent  Christian  lives. 
Class  prayer  meetings  are  an  excellent  means  of  bring- 
ing forward  the  shy  ones,  and  giving  them  courage  to 
hear  their  own  voices  in  prayer.  Let  these  meetings 
be  held  directly  after  the  Sunday  school  session,  in  the 
most  quiet  corner  that  can  be  found.  Encourage  your 
pupils  to  ask  for  prayer  for  any  especial  subject  that  is 
near  their  hearts ;  and  then,  kneeling  down  in  a  circle, 
pray  first  yourself  very  briefly,  and  request  every  mem- 
ber of  the  class  to  follow  in  turn  with  a  few  words  of 
prayer.  Even  if  it  be  but  one  sentence,  it  is  a  good 
thing,  and  the  power  to  pray  aloud  will  soon  increase 
by  exercise. 

Helping  the  Superintendent  is  among  the 
teacher's  duties ;  and  one  of  the  best  ways  to  do  this  is 
to  refrain  from  sharp  criticism.  "Put  yourself  in  his 
place  "  continually,  so  that  you  can  estimate  a  little  his 
difficulties  and  discouragements.  See  to  it  that  you  are 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  If  every  teacher  in  the 
school  could  be  superintendent  for  a  few  months  in  turn, 
we  should  have  less  criticism  and  more  sympathy.  If 
the  superintendent  does  anything  which  troubles  you,  do 
not  speak  of  it  to  any  other  teacher,  but  go  directly 
to  him,  and  tell  him  of  the  cause  of  your  trouble,  and 
nine  times  out  of  ten  this  will  be  sufficient  to  end  the 
difficulty. 


I04 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


Interest  in  Missions  May  be  Much  Fostered 
by  an  enthusiastic  teacher;  and  perhaps  some  child 
whom  you  thus  influence  may  one  day  become  a  useful 
missionary.  Miss  Agnew,  for  forty  years  an  excellent 
missionary  in  Ceylon,  formed  the  purpose  to  go  to  the 
foreign  field  when  only  eight  years  old,  although  she 
was  compelled  to  wait  till  she  was  thirty  before  she  was 
able  to  fulfil  her  desire.  When  Robert  Moffat,  the  great 
African  missionary,  joined  the  church  in  Scotland,  at  a 
very  early  age,  one  old  elder  was  much  disturbed  ;  and 
when  some  one  asked  him  if  there  had  been  any  addi- 
tions to  the  church  at  the  communion  season,  he  replied 
sadly,  "  No  one  came  forward  but  wee  Bobbie  Moffat." 
Could  he  but  have  foreseen  the  grand  career  of  "wee 
Bobbie,"  how  his  heart  would  have  swelled  with  grate- 
ful joy!  Perhaps  there  is  a  *'wee  Bobbie"  in  your 
class. 


CHAPTER   XL 

OBJECT    TEACHING. 

THERE  ARE  Two  Main  Avenues  by  which  we 
can  approach  the  minds  of  our  scholars.  These 
are  "eye  gate"  and  "ear  gate."  Compared  with  the 
other  three  senses,  these  two  are  by  far  the  most  often 
used.  If  we  could  appreciate  the  proportion  of  knowl- 
edge which  enters  the  child's  mind  through  these  two 
gates,  we  should  be  much  surprised. 

In  Childhood  the  Eye  is  the  Pioneer  in  All 
Learning. — The  child  sees,  and,  as  soon  as  possible, 
begins  to  ask  the  meaning  of  that  which  appeals  to  its 
eyes.  The  ear  is  largely  the  mere  interpreter  of  that 
which  attracts  its  attention.  The  thinj^s  which  make 
the  deepest  impression  on  the  growing  mind  are  those 
which  are  seen,  while  those  which  are  merely  heard  are 
apt  to  slip  from  the  memory.  We  can  readily  under- 
stand this,  if  we  will  make  use  of  our  own  memories. 

What  are  the  things  that  we  remember  from  our 
childhood  the  best?  Are  they  not  the  pictures  that 
attracted  us?  The  Bible  stories  that  we  never  can  for- 
get are  those  which  were  illustrated.  Even  in  our 
geographies,  the  things  best  remembered  are  the  illus- 
trations of  the  scenery,   customs,    and  manners  of  the 


I06  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

lands  and  people  of  which  the  geography  spoke.  This 
tells  the  story,  and  affirms  the  truth  that  the  eye  is  a 
most  potent  factor  in  the  education  of  the  young. 

In  Mature  Years  it  is  still  in  large  measure  the 
same.  Our  literature  bears  witness  to  the  fact  that  the 
eye  is  a  wonderful  teacher.  We  make  use  of  the  en- 
graver's art,  and  the  traveler  brings  his  camera  into 
play  constantly.  Look  at  our  monthly  magazines  and 
see  how  well  the  publishers  have  learned  the  lesson  of 
appealing  to  the  eye.  For  the  eye  is  not  only  more 
accurate  than  the  ear  in  imparting  information,  but 
it  is  far  more  correct,  and  far  swifter.  If  you  want 
to  give  an  idea  of  a  scene  or  of  a  piece  of  machinery, 
a  picture  will  do  this  far  better  than  a  page  of  explana- 
tion. 

Secular  Teachers  Know  the  Truth  which  we 
are  affirming  and  make  use  of  it  continually.  No  man 
lectures  on  matters  scientific  without,  if  possible,  making 
use  of  the  blackboard,  or  of  objects  with  which  to  help 
the  understanding  of  his  hearers.  This  is  one  reason 
why  scientific  lectures  by  competent  teachers  are  so 
very  popular.  The  hearers  grasp  that  which  is  pre- 
sented, and  carry  it  away  with  them. 

Since  These  Things  are  so,  ought  not  all  reli- 
gious teachers  to  make  greater  use  of  the  eye  in  their 
work  than  they  do?  This  goes  without  saying,  and  yet 
it  still  remains  true  that  very  few  Sunday  school  teach- 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  IO7 

ers  ever  appeal  to  the  eyes  of  their  scholars,  excepting 
it  be  at  times  by  way  of  showing  them  a  picture  or 
two. 

What  is  the  reason  for  this?  In  part  it  arises  from 
the  fact  that  teachers  have  never  had  their  attention 
called  to  the  importance  of  the  matter,  and,  in  part, 
because  they  feel  that  they  do  not  know  how  to  get  to 
work.  To  help  them,  I  write  as  I  do,  and  my  theme  is 
the  use  of  object  lessons. 

The  Fundamental  Principle  in  All  Object 
Teaching  is  the  likeness  that  exists  between  things 
material  and  things  spiritual.  There  is  an  analogy  in 
some  points  between  all  things  material  and  all  things 
spiritual  which  needs  only  to  be  stated  to  be  realized. 
These  analogies  are  the  more  easily  seen  by  the  scholar 
if  the  object  by  means  of  which  you  propose  to  illustrate 
a  spiritual  truth  is  before  their  eyes. 

For  example,  take  a  watch.  A  watch  is  like  a  boy 
in  many  particulars.  It  is  made  to  go.  So  is  a  boy. 
Every  lad  will  easily  understand  this.  It  sometimes 
gets  out  of  order.  So  does  a  boy.  If  it  gets  out  of 
order,  it  must  be  repaired.  So  must  a  boy.  If  he 
loses  his  temper,  he  needs  repairing  in  this  particular. 
A  watch  needs  to  be  wound  up  each  day.  So  the 
Christian  boy  needs  to  be  wound  up  each  day  by  his 
heavenly  owner,  for  he  cannot  to-day  get  strength  for 
to-morrow.  To-day  he  gets  what  he  needs  for  to-day 
and  no  more.  A  watch  is  a  delicate  thing  and  must  be 
carefully  handled.     But  a  boy  is  a  far  more  delicate 


I08  WAYS.  OF    WORKING. 

thing   than  a   watch,   and   should   therefore  take   more 
care  of  himself. 

There  are  many  more  analogies  between  a  watch  and 
a  boy,  but  these  will  suffice  to  illustrate  what  I  mean. 
Of  course,  the  teacher  could  draw  all  these  analogies 
without  having  a  watch  in  his  hand.  But  he  would  fail 
to  interest  his  class  as  deeply  as  he  can  do  if,  while  he 
is  speaking,  he  holds  the  watch  where  they  all  can 
see  it. 

What  the  Teacher  then  Needs  is  to  Learn 
TO  See  these  "likenesses"  that,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
abound  on  every  hand.  A  friend  once  came  to  my 
study  to  ask  me  to  give  him  an  object  talk,  as  he  had 
to  address  a  gathering  of  boys  soon,  and  he  wanted  to 
hold  their  attention.  I  said  to  him  :  "I  will  give  you 
no  object  talk.     Make  one  for  yourself." 

To  this  he  replied  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
do  so.  I  said  to  him,  "There  stands  a  student's  lamp 
on  the  table.  Look  at  it  till  some  likeness  suggests 
itself  to  you." 

Then  I  went  on  with  my  work.  For  awhile  he  gazed 
at  the  lamp  in  silence.  Then  he  spoke  up,  and  said : 
"It  is  made  to  give  light." 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  and  so  is  a  boy." 

"  I  see,"  said  he. 

"Go  on,"  replied  I,  "and  look  till  you  get  another 
likeness." 

Presently  he  spoke  again,  and  said,  "  It  will  not  give 
light  unless  it  is  lighted." 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  lOQ 

*'No  more  will  a  boy,  till  he  gets  light  from  him 
who  is  the  light  of  the  world,"  said  I. 

Thus,  having  begun,  he  went  on  and  drew  out  a  great 
number  of  very  apt  and  helpful  analogies  that  could  be 
well  used  in  an  address  to  boys.  And  when  he  went 
away  he  had  himself  worked  out  a  talk  which  was  far 
more  helpful  to  him  than  if  I  had  stopped  my  w^ork  and 
done  it  all  for  him. 

Of  Course,  in  Using  Objects  in  a  Class,  only 
such  things  can  be  taken  as  will  not  distract  the  atten- 
tion of  neighboring  classes.  Should  the  teacher,  how- 
ever, have  a  classroom  to  himself,  he  will  be  much  more 
free,  and  will  be  able  to  use  pretty  much  anything  that 
he  desires. 

There  are,  however,  multitudes  of  small  objects  which 
can  be  taken  by  the  teacher  into  the  ordinary  class,  and 
there  be  made  a  source  not  of  interest  only,  but  of  in- 
struction as  well.  In  the  selection  of  these  objects,  and 
in  the  drawing  out  of  analogies  suggested  by  them, 
practice  is  needed.  Let  no  teacher,  however,  think 
that  because  he  cannot  now  make  skilful  use  of  material 
things,  therefore  he  ought  not  to  try. 

Let  him  make  the  effort  consistently  and  persistently, 
and  he  will  find  here,  as  elsewhere,  "  experience  teaches 
all  things."  He  will  find,  too,  that  it  is  far  easier  to 
hold  the  attention  of  his  class.  The  scholars  will  come 
more  regularly,  will  remember  more  perfectly,  and  will 
behave  better  than  under  the  ordinary  kind  of  teach- 
ing. 


no  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

In  Order  to  Help  the  Teacher  Along  the  line 
suggested  above,  I  am  now  going  to  give  quite  a  num- 
ber of  objects  which  can  be  used  to  illustrate  and  en- 
force divine  truth.  The  space  allotted  to  me  is  so 
narrow  that  I  cannot  draw  out  at  length  the  analogies 
which  I  here  suggest.  All  that  I  can  do  is  to  give  the 
teacher  some  specimen  work,  and  then  beseech  him  to 
follow  the  lines  indicated  and  work  out  new  analogies 
himself. 

To  Illustrate  the  Principle  of  Growth  in 
Grace  seeds  of  any  kind  can  be  used.  These  seeds 
have  in  them  the  principles  of  life.  In  this  they  are 
like  the  Word  of  God,  which  our  Master  says  is  seed. 
If  these  seeds,  however,  were  not  planted,  and  if  they 
did  not  receive  moisture,  and  warmth,  and  light,  they 
would  never  germinate.  So,  unless  the  word  is  planted 
in  the  human  heart,  is  watered  by  the  ''  early  and  latter 
rain  of  the  Spirit,"  and  is  warmed  by  the  rays  of  the 
*'  Sun  of  Righteousness,"  the  seed  will  remain  dead. 

To  Illustrate  the  Fact  that  "  Whatsoever  a  man 
soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap,"  take  two  bulbs,  one, 
say,  a  white  and  the  other  a  purple  hyacinth.  Tell  the 
class  what  these  bulbs  are,  ask  whether  if  you  plant  a 
purple  bulb  it  will  ever  produce  a  white  flower. 

They  will  reply,  "  Never."  Ask  them  whether  if  a 
boy  sows  lies,  he  can  reap  truth.  Or  if  he  sows 
drunkenness  can  he  reap  sobriety?  The  teacher  can 
easily  see  how  many  applications  can  be  made  from  the 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  Ill 

analogies    drawn    between    these    bulbs     and    spiritual 
growth. 

To  Illustrate  the  Unseen  but  Not  Unfelt 
Power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  take  a  magnet.  At  any 
hardware  store  these  can  be  had  for  twenty-five  cents. 
When  you  come  to  make  application  of  the  truth  to  the 
class,  produce  your  magnet,  show  how  it  draws  tacks, 
or  any  article  of  iron.  The  power  of  the  magnet  is  not 
seen,  but  is  felt.  So  with  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
on  our  hearts,  —  we  cannot  see  him,  yet  every  scholar 
feels  his  drawing  power.  Jesus  himself  said,  ''And  I, 
if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

Should  Any  Lesson  Occur  in  which  God's  esti- 
mate of  us  is  set  forth,  the  teacher  may  well  take  a 
blank  book  and  from  it  illustrate  how  God  keeps  a 
record  of  our  lives.  Every  thought  that  we  think, 
every  word  we  utter,  every  deed  we  perform  is  by  him 
recorded.  Just  suppose  that  each  day  of  our  lives  were 
fully  traced  out  on  a  page  of  this  book,  what  do  you 
think  the  record  would  be  ?  Yesterday's  page  is  filled. 
To-day's  is  being  filled  ;  to-morrow's  is  yet  blank.  Do 
you  want  to  have  repeated  to-morrow  what  was  re- 
corded yesterday?  Something  will  be  recorded.  What 
shall  it  be? 

Hypocrisy  is  One  of  the  Sins  against  which  the 
Saviour  thundered.  To  try  and  seem  to  be  what  you 
are  not  is  a  wicked  thing.     Take  an  artificial  flower  of 


112  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

any  kind  into  the  class.  Show  it  to  the  scholars ;  ask 
whether  this  be  real  or  counterfeit.  If  you  were  pluck- 
ing flowers  in  a  garden  and  found  that  lialf  of  them 
were  artificial,  would  3^ou  not  consider  yourself  de- 
frauded? How  much  worse,  then,  if  people,  looking 
at  us  and  expecting  to  find  Christian  lives,  found  only 
their  counterfeit.  We  punish  counterfeiters  in  money 
severely  when  they  are  detected.  Will  not  God  then 
punish  counterfeiters  in  character,  whose  hypocrisy  he 
knows  all  the  time? 

Take  a  Spool  of  Thread  into  the  class  some  day. 
By  means  of  this  many  truths  may  be  illustrated.  For 
example,  you  can  illustrate  the  binding  force  of  evil 
habits.  Ask  the  scholar  to  break  one  strand  of  the 
thread,  which  he  can  easily  do.  A  double  strand  he 
will  find  somewhat  more  difficult.  Now  quadruple  the 
thread  and  ask  him  to  break  it.  He  will  find  it  harder 
still.  Double  your  thread  now  until  you  have  fifteen  or 
twenty  strands,  twist  them  like  a  rope,  and  ask  the  boy 
to  snap  it.      He  will  fail. 

So  one  lie  binds  a  boy  slightly,  but  he  can  break 
away  from  this  easily ;  repeat  the  lie,  quadruple  it, 
manifold  it,  and  presently  the  boy  is  a  confirmed  liar, 
and  is  bound  like  a  slave.  The  same  holds  true  of  the 
drink  habit,  of  gambling,  disobedience  to  parents,  or 
any  other  sin  which  carries  our  scholars  captive. 

In  a  Sunday  Review  Once,  a  lesson  happened  to 
be  on  Samuel,  and  I  was  to  speak  to  the  scholars.     I 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  II3 

asked  if  there  were  any  boys  there  by  the  name  of 
Samuel,  and  four  boys  arose.  Choosing  the  best  look- 
ing of  them,  I  called  him  to  the  platform,  blindfolded 
him,  then  I  put  the  end  of  a  thread  into  his  hands, 
myself  holding  the  other  end,  and  said,  "  Samuel,  when 
you  feel  this  draw,  follow."  In  this  way  I  led  him  all 
about  the  Sunday  school  room,  the  only  connection  be- 
tween him  and  myself  being  that  thread.  The  whole 
school  arose  to  watch.  Presently  I  said,  "  Samuel, 
hold  back."  He  stood  still,  I  kept  on,  the  thread 
broke. 

Going  back  to  the  platform,  I  said,  "See  how 
Samuel  was  led  safely  so  long  as  he  followed  the  pull 
of  the  thread.  See  how  he  lost  his  connection  with  me 
when  he  held  back ;  so  the  Samuel  of  our  lesson  fol- 
lowed when  God  called,  and  said,  '  Speak,  Lord,  for 
thy  servant  heareth.'  If  he  had  held  back  and  refused, 
God's  guidance  would  have  been  offered  in  vain." 


The  Bible  Says  Much  of  "traps,"  "gins,'' 
snares."  All  this  may  be  illustrated  by  a  rat-trap, 
taken  into  the  class  or  used  on  the  platform.  This  trap 
is  baited,  and  therefore  attractive  to  the  creatures,  and  is 
designed  to  harm.  The  attractions  are  set  forth  mani- 
festly, the  dangers  are  concealed,  so  the  rat  walks  in, 
yields  to  the  temptation,  is  caught  and  killed.  Satan 
has  many  traps.  He  tempts  boys  to  take  postage 
stamps  in  the  offices  where  they  work,  or  money  from 
the  till,  setting  forth  the  attractions  in  hiding  the  dan- 
gers.    The  boy  yields  and  is  snared. 


(( 


114 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


Having  Once  the  Superintending  of  a  rather  un- 
ruly school,  to  which  I  was  a  stranger,  and  the  lesson 
being  the  anointing  of  the  Saviour  by  Mary,  it  occurred 
to  me  to  introduce  the  lesson  in  such  a  way  as  to  interest 
the  scholars  from  the  start.  I  took  a  small  bottle  of 
cologne  with  me. 

Before  the  lesson  was  read  responsively,  I  said, 
'*  Will  all  the  teachers  please  come  to  the  platform?" 
This  rather  aroused  the  attention  of  the  school,  as  it  was 
an  unusual  thing.  When  they  were  all  in  front  of  me,  I 
said,  "  Please  take  out  your  handkerchiefs,"  which 
they  did. 

I  then  poured  upon  each  handkerchief  a  liberal  al- 
lowance of  cologne.  The  scholars  watched,  greatly 
wondering  what  I  was  doing.  I  then  said,  "  Will  the 
teachers  please  go  to  their  seats,  wavmg  their  handker- 
chiefs in  the  air?"  which  they  did,  and  the  whole  room 
was  filled  with  fragrance.  It  pleased  the  scholars  much. 
Then  I  said,  "This  room  smells  sweet,  does  it  not? 
But  we  are  now  going  to  read  about  a  room  that  smelled 
far  more  sweetly  than  this  does.  Turn  to  the  lesson, 
please." 

That  lesson  was  read  with  great  interest  by  the  school, 
and  I  had  their  undivided  attention. 

Behold  How  Great  a  Matter  a  Little  Fire 
KiNDLETH,  and  the  tongue  is  a  fire.  Illustrate  this  by 
a  match,  which  you  may  light  or  not,  as  you  please. 
Under  proper  circumstances,  this  match  lighted  can 
blow  a  ship  into  the  air  or  set  a  city  on  fire.     So  James 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  II5 

says,  **The  tongue  is  a  fire,"  and  I  have  known 
churches  set  on  fire,  and  Sunday  schools  put  into  a 
blaze,  and  families  torn  asunder  by  a  wicked  use  of  the 
tongue. 

We  Alt.  Acknowledge  that  the  Bible  is  our 
guide  from  this  world  to  a  better  land  lying  beyond. 
In  this  respect  the  Bible  is  to  us  a  kind  of  compass. 
The  teacher,  taking  a  compass  into  the  class,  can  easily 
explain  to  the  scholars  the  principles  on  which  it  works  ; 
tell  them  that  by  means  of  such  compasses  as  this  steam- 
ships are  guided  across  the  mighty  deep,  in  light  and  in 
darkness,  in  mist  and  in  fog.  If,  however,  they  disre- 
gard the  indications  of  the  needle,  danger  and  disaster 
await  them.  So  through  all  the  experiences  of  life  the 
Bible  is  our  compass.  If  we  follow  where  it  points,  we 
are  safe,  but,  "  since  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to 
direct  his  steps,"  and  since  "  he  that  trusteth  in  his  own 
heart  is  a  fool,"  the  man  who  disregards  what  the  Bible 
says  is  sure  to  come  to  bad  ends. 

Many  Sunday  School  Teachers  are  Amateur 
Photographers.  Many  lessons  can  be  taught  and 
many  analogies  drawn  from  photographic  processes. 
The  sensitized  plate  is  like  the  heart  of  the  scholar, 
exceedingly  sensitive.  Let  the  teacher  take  into  the 
class  a  plate-holder  with  a  clean  plate,  also  a  plate  on 
which  the  image  has  been  developed  and  fixed.  Tell 
the  scholars  that  you  hold  in  your  hand  a  plate  so  sen- 
sitive that  if  exposed  to  the  light  for  the  hundredth  part 


Il6  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

of  a  second  it  will  record  an  impression.  But,  if  ex- 
posed wrongly  for  the  same  length  of  time,  the  plate 
will  be  ruined.  Tell  them  that  you  now  will  ruin  the 
plate  ;  then  withdraw  the  slide,  and,  showing  the  plate 
to  them,  tell  them  that,  because  wrongly  exposed,  it  is 
spoiled. 

So  the  heart  of  the  scholar,  exposed  to  wrong  influ- 
ences, is  marred,  but,  exposed  to  right  and  sweet  in- 
fluences, receives  wholesome  impressions.  I  will  not 
further  develop  analogies  from  the  photographic  art, 
more  than  to  say  that  the  impression  on  the  plate  must 
be  developed ;  so  the  impression  of  truth  on  the  scholar's 
heart  must  be  developed.  Further,  the  impression  must 
be  fixed  on  the  plate  and  heart  as  well.  F'inally,  the 
impression  can  be  transferred  ten  thousand  times  by 
means  of  one  plate.  So  a  scholar,  with  the  image  of 
Christ  impressed,  developed,  and  fixed  on  his  heart, 
can  transfer  that  same  impression  to  thousands  of  others 
in  the  course  of  his  life. 

A  Capital  Object  Lesson  Can  be  Made  by 
means  of  the  piano,  organ,  and  platform.  The  anal- 
ogies I  will  suggest  are  as  follows  :  The  piano  is  made 
to  pour  forth  harmony  ;  so  our  lives  should  be  harmoni- 
ous in  praising  God.  Let  some  one  now  play  the  melody 
of  a  sweet  tune  with  one  finger  on  the  instrument.  That 
sounds  well,  and  what  is  it  like?  Like  one  single  mem- 
ber of  the  family  living  to  God's  praise.  There  is  some- 
thing, however,  sweeter  than  this.  Now  let  the  same 
tune  be  played  with  soprano  and  alto.     This  is  sweeter 


OBJECT    TEACHING.  II7 

than  the  soprano  alone.  And  what  is  this  Hke?  Like 
two  sisters  in  the  same  family,  living  lor  God's  service. 
Now  let  the  organist  play  the  san\e  tune  with  its  full 
harmony.  This  is  still  hetter ;  and  of  wliat  does  this 
remind  us,  if  it  be  not  of  the  family  where  all  the  mem- 
bers are  harmoniously  living  in  the  love  of  God  and  of 
their  fellowmen? 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE    BLACKBOARD. 

THE  Blackboard  is  now  to  be  my  theme.  Not  a 
few  superintendents  refuse  utterly  to  use  a  black- 
board in  their  schools.  This  arises  from  different 
causes.  Sometimes  the  reason  is  that  they  have  seen 
such  a  singular  use  made  of  the  board  at  some  conven- 
tion or  other  that  they  are  disgusted  with  it  as  a  means 
of  imparting  truth.  They  have  seen  the  blackboardist 
use  crosses,  crowns,  serpents,  landscapes,  ships,  trees, 
and  all  manner  of  symbols,  all  requiring  such  artistic 
ability  that  they  have  felt  that  they  themselves  could 
never  do  such  work,  and  so  have  made  no  attempt  to 
use  the  blackboard  in  any  way. 

Others,  Again,  Have  not  Seen  any  such  uses  of 
the  board,  but  have  simply  neglected  to  think  suffi- 
ciently about  the  matter  to  persuade  themselves  that 
there  is  any  advantage  in  its  use  for  their  schools. 
These  workers  go  ahead  from  week  to  week,  and  year 
to  year,  without  so  much  as  asking  themselves  whether 
it  would  not  be  a  good  thing  for  all  concerned  if  they 
would  make  use  of  a  blackboard.  They  have  never 
pondered  at  all  over  the  question.  To  all  such  I  want 
to  talk  to-day,  and  I  do  hope  that  if  any  of  these,  my 


THE    BLACKBOARD.  1^9 

fellow-workers,  have  read  thus  far,  they  will  now  read 
on  to  the  end  of  what  I  have  to  say. 

That  the  Blackboard  is  a  Very  Great  Power 
in  teaching  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  no  good  secular 
teacher  tries  to  do  without  it.  The  very  best  teachers 
who  speak  to  intelligent  audiences  on  matters  scientific 
make  abundant  use  of  the  blackboard.  And  if  they  do 
so,  speaking  to  adults,  how  much  more  ought  we  to 
follow  their  example,  who  address  such  juvenile  audi- 
ences. The  fact  is,  that  the  younger  the  hearer  the 
more  needful  is  it  to  use  the  eye  as  well  as  the  ear. 
But  adults,  as  well  as  children,  love  to  be  taught  by 
the  eye,  and  remember  much  better  that  which  they 
have  seen  than  that  which  has  appealed  to  their  ears 
alone. 

The  Eye  is  Much  Swifter  and  more  accurate  in 
conveying  truth  to  the  mind.  Just  think  for  one 
moment  how  much  better  an  idea  you  yourself  have  of 
an  engine  when  you  have  seen  it  than  you  would  have 
by  the  very  best  description  that  you  could  read  about 
it.  There  is  no  comparison  between  the  two  ways  of 
learning.  But  without  the  blackboard  you  are  losing 
the  swiftest  method  of  approach  to  the  minds  of  those 
whom  you  are  trying  to  instruct.  Did  you  ever  think 
of  this?  So  much  with  regard  to  the  importance  of 
using  the  board  in  your  school.  Now  for  a  few  details 
as  to  the  method  of  use,  such  as  shall  be  helpful  to  the 
average  superintendent. 


I20  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

Get  a  Good  Board. — Often  at  conventions  if  I 
ask  for  a  board  they  give  me  such  a  wee  mite  of  a  thing 
that  I  know  not  what  to  do  with  it.  Or  else,  if  the 
board  is  lar^re  enoucrh,  it  has  such  a  smooth  surface 
that  the  chalk  slips  over  it,  and  does  not  make  a  legible 
mark.  Such  boards  are  of  no  avail.  For  general  use 
a  board  ought  to  be  at  least  four  feet  long  by  two  and 
a  half  wide.  In  large  schools  it  should  be  six  feet  by 
four.  If  you  have  little  room  on  your  platform,  or  wish 
to  set  the  board  aside  during  the  week,  get  one  mounted 
on  a  tripod,  which  can  then  be  folded  up  and  set  one 
side  by  the  sexton.  The  surface  of  all  boards  ought  to 
be  silicated  and  smooth,  but  by  no  means  shining. 
With  such  a  board  it  is  a  pleasure  to  work. 

It  is  Important,  too,  to  Have  Good  Chalk. — 
For  a  small  school  it  does  not  make  very  much  dif- 
ference, but  in  a  school  of  a  couple  of  hundred  mem- 
bers, you  must  have  thick  chalk,  to  work  well  and  be 
legible.  I  use  chalk  made  in  sticks  an  inch  thick  and 
about  three  inches  long.  It  is  made  in  Providence. 
With  it  any  one  can  print  so  as  to  be  easily  seen  in 
the  largest  church.  The  eraser,  too,  is  important,  since 
if  you  use  an  ordinary  piece  of  cloth  it  smudges  the 
board,  and  makes  it  look  anything  but  neat.  Get  a 
chamois  leather  eraser,  which  will  cost  twenty-five 
cents,  and  last  for  more  than  a  year. 

And  Now  I  Hear  Some  One  Say,  "Yes,  that  is 
all  very  well  for  a  rich   city  school,  but  our  school  is 


THE    BLACKBOARD.  121 

poor,  and  cannot  afford  a  twelve-dollar  board."  Oh, 
yes,  you  can,  if  only  you  think  so.  If  need  be,  take  a 
year  in  collecting  the  needed  fund.  Surely  any  school 
could  do  it  in  that  length  of  time.  Or  it  may  be  you 
could  get  some  member  of  the  church  to  give  you  one 
out  and  out,  if  only  you  had  the  courage  to  go  to  him  or 
her.  At  all  events,  do  not  let  the  price  delay  you  more 
than  is  necessary,  for  where  there  is  a  will  there  ought 
to  be  a  way. 

Well,  Having  Gotten  the  Board,  you  ask, 
"What  shair  be  the  style  of  work  that  I  put  onto  it?" 
My  reply  is,  "  Only  the  very  simplest  imaginable." 
You  need  not  be  ornate  or  artistic  to  be  helpful.  Just 
let  the  work  be  clear,  and  set  forth  the  plain  truth,  and 
you  will  have  done  enough  to  help  teachers  and  scholars 
in  your  school. 

Only  be  Bold  in  Your  Lettering. — An  inch 
thick  and  four  inches  long  is  about  the  right  size. 
Do  most  of  the  work  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
school,  for  that  always  enlists  their  attention.  To  give 
you  confidence  in  this,  you  will  probably  have  to  put 
what  you  expect  to  use  on  the  board  several  times 
before  the  school  assembles.  I  used  to  go  to  my  Sun- 
day school  room  on  Saturday  and  practise  for  an  hour 
sometimes  before  I  was  satisfied  with  the  way  it  worked. 
Then  I  rubbed  it  all  out,  and  drew  hair-lines  on  the 
board  to  mark  the  top  and  bottom  of  my  letters,  and 
left  those  to  guide  me  on  Sunday.     After  awhile  this 


122 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


was  no  longer   necessary ;    for  in   this,   as   in  many  a 
thing,  practice  makes  perfect. 

It  is  Well  for  the  Leader  to  be  much  at  home 
with  his  theme,  so  as  to  be  able  to  keep  on  talking 
while  he  is  putting  the  required  lettering  on  the  board. 
This  appeals  to  the  ears  of  the  scholars,  while  the 
board  engages  their  eyes.  But  if  you  have  both  the 
eyes  and  the  ears  of  your  school,  there  is  no  danger 

that   they    will  be   in    any 
way  disorderly. 


EBELLIOUS 

lOTOUS 

UINED 

EPENTANT 

ESTORED 


No. 


Now,  AS  to  the 
Matter  that  is  to  go 
ON  THE  Board.  —  Some- 
times it  is  well  to  put  only 
such  words  on  as  will  sug- 
gest the  main  facts  of  the 

lesson.     Supposing  the  lesson  is  on  the  Prodigal  Son. 

You  might  then  bring  out  the  facts  of  his  experience 

as  shown  in  blackboard  No.  i. 

Or,  if  the  lesson  be  that  which  tells  us  of  the  plot  of 

Herod  against  the  life  of  Jesus,  you  might  set  this  forth 

as  in  No.  2. 

If  the  story  be  that  of  Zaccheus,  you  can  show  how 

the  man  was  seeking  Jesus,  but  found  that  Jesus  was 

also  seeking   him.      Then  the  board  would  read  both 

down  and  up  as  in  blackboard  No.  3. 


Again,  You  may  not  Touch  the  Facts  in  the  les- 


THE    BLACKBOARD. 


123 


GOD'S    HEROD'S 

PLAN 
LIFE  IdEATK 


No.  2. 


son,  but   only  dwell  on  the 

spiritual  applications  that  we 

draw   from    it.     Of  course, 

the  lessons  must  be  such  as 

you  can  condense  into  a  few 

words.     But  this  is  not  hard 

to  do,  as  soon  as  you  have 

a    little    experience    in    the 

matter.     For     example,     if 

you  have  a  lesson  on  faith,  you  can  easily  bring  out 

the  way  of  faith  showing  the  three  things  that  are  need- 
ful for  salvation  as  in  No.  4. 

Another  example  of  this  might  be  drawn  from  the 

way  in  which  Saul  of  Tarsus  acted  on  his  conversion, 

which  is  the  way  in  which 
all  men  should  act.  It 
reads  as  in  blackboard 
No.  5. 

Or,  if  the  lesson  be  an 
invitation  to  sinners,  and 
you  wish  to  emphasize  the 
fact  that  all  are  invited, 
and    that    yet    they    must 

change  their  way  of  life  if  they  accept  the  invitation, 

the  board  will  read  as  shown  in  No.  6. 


ZAGCHEUS 
SEEKING 
JESUS 


No.  3. 


It  is  Perfectly  Possible  sometimes  to  teach  moral 
truths  by  lines  only,  without  any  lettering  at  all.  For 
example,  I  once  saw  a  teacher  emphasize  the  lesson 
in  the  last  chapter  of   Ecclesiastes,  about  the   duty  of 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


ELIEVE  IN 
EL0N6  TO 
ATT LE  FOR' 


No.  4- 


remembering  one's  Creator  in  the  days  of  one's  youth, 
by  five  Hnes.  They  were  arranged  as  seen  in  black- 
board No.  7. 

And  he  so  impressed  his  hearers  that  one  of  them 
gave  his  heart  to  God  on  the  spot,  as  a  result  of  the 
teaching.  Of  course,  as  he  put  the  lines  on  the  board, 
he  **  talked  to  his  board  "  somewhat  in  the  following 
manner:  "  See,  we  are  all  like  this  first  line  when  we 
come  into  this  world,  helpless  and  lying  prone  in  our 
mother's  arms.  But  we  do  not  remain  so  for  very  long. 
Soon  the  young 
man  begins  to 
walk  in  his  own 
strength,  as  you 
see  in  this  line 
here.  But  even 
that     condition 

does  not  continue  forever,  for  presently  you  see  the 
full-grown  man  walking  upright,  and  bearing  on  his 
shoulders  the  weight  of  grave  business  cares.  But 
before  long  he  himself  begins  to  feel  the  weight  of 
years  and  toil,   and  you  see  he  stoops,  for  he  is   old. 


No. 


THE    BLACKBOARD. 


125 


Now  desire  begins  to  fail,  for  soon  he  shall  go  to 
his  long  home.  And,  at  last,  see,  like  this  last  line, 
he  is  prostrate  and  helpless,  and  as  he  came  into  this 
world,  so  he  must  go  out.  Therefore,  remember  thy 
Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before  the  evil  days 
come,  when  you  shall  be  old  and  feeble,  and  death  be 
near." 


Come  remain  not 
,  as  you  are 


No.  6. 


My  Space  Wiel  Not  Permit  Me  to  go  further 
into  details  as 
to  the  many 
ways  in  which 
simple  words 
or  lines  may  be 
used  by  the 
teacher  to  im- 
press divine  truth  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
school  or  the  single  scholar.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that 
after  much  experience  I  have  found  the  use  of  the 
blackboard  so  essential  that  I  would  not  be  persuaded 
by  any  argument  to  abandon  it.  As  I  said  before, 
the  best  teachers  in  Sunday  school  and  in  secular 
schools  all  make  use  of  it,  and  it  is  a  pity  if  any 
refuse   to   do    what   others   have  found    so    useful. 


No.  7. 


And  Now,  in  My  Desire 
TO  Persuade  You  to  use 
the  board,  may  I  become  a 
little  personal  ?  I  know  how 
you  feel,  if  you  have  never 


126  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

worked  on  a  board.  You  feel  shy,  and  are  afraid  that 
you  will  do  more  harm  than  good  by  your  efforts.  Or 
it  may  be  that  you  are  a  little  sensitive,  and  fear  that 
you  will  fail,  and  that  the  school  will  laugh  at  you 
behind  your  back.  I  have  felt  exactly  the  same  thing. 
Yet  the  time  came  when  I  had  the  superintendence  of  a 
school,  when  I  saw  that  if  I  did  not  buy  and  use  a  board 
I  was  a  kind  of  a  '*back  number."  So  I  got  one  and 
began  to  work  on  it  as  well  (or  as  badly)  as  I  could. 
I  used  the  best  helps  that  were  at  hand,  and  copied 
them. 

Then  I  prepared  my  talk  so  as  to  suit  what  went  on 
the  board.  Sometimes  I  am  confident  I  made  con- 
spicuous failures,  for  I  was,  at  the  best,  a  beginner. 
But  by  degrees  things  went  better,  and  my  letters  were 
a  little  less  crooked.  At  this  I  took  courage,  and  went 
on.  Then  I  began  to  work  out  my  own  plans,  and 
found  that  with  them  I  could  do  better  than  with  those 
that  I  borrowed  from  others ;  not  because  they  were 
better  in  themselves,  but  because  they  were  mine,  and 
suited  me  better  than  the  others. 

At  First,  I  Remember  that  no  lesson  seemed  to 
me  to  yield  a  good  blackboard  exercise.  All  seemed 
dark  and  blind.  But  by  degrees  I  found  that  many  a 
lesson  could  be  condensed  into  five  or  six  words,  so  as 
to  give  its  very  gist  and  pith.  Blackboard  exercises 
came  rapidly  at  last,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  hunt  for 
them.  I  found,  too,  that  they  were  helpful  to  those 
whom   I  taught,  and  gave    new   point   to   the    lesson, 


THE    BLACKBOARD.  I27 

besides  being  much  more  easily  remembered.  All  this 
encouraged  me  to  go  on,  until  I  lost  all  shyness  and 
fear,  and  could  work  at  the  board  with  much  ease  and 
comfort. 

Of  One  Thing  You  Will  Have  to  Beware. 
Not  every  lesson  yields  a  good  blackboard  exercise. 
If  you  cannot  get  a  form  of  words  that  really  is  a  help 
to  the  school,  do  not  use  the  board  for  that  day.  I  find 
that  I  can  use  the  board  to  advantage  in  about  three 
lessons  out  of  four.  And  rather  than  put  a  foolish 
thing  on  the  board,  or  one  that  is  of  no  assistance,  I  let 
the  board  go  for  that  day. 

And  Now  I  Hear  Some  Teachers  Say,  **Yes, 
all  this  is  true,  and  I  wish  our  superintendent  would 
buy  and  use  a  blackboard.  But  he  is  an  old  fogy  and 
won't ;  so  what  is  the  use  of  all  this  to  me?  " 

Of  a  great  deal  of  use,  if  you  act  rightly.  You  need 
not  wait  for  your  superintendent  to  move  before  you  use 
your  scholars'  eyes  as  well  as  ears  in  teaching.  Take 
a  block  of  paper  with  you  into  your  class,  and  put  on 
that  just  such  truths  as  I  have  been  talking  about  in  the 
above  paragraphs.  If  it  is  a  good  thing  for  the  super- 
intendent to  make  use  of  the  eyes  of  the  whole  school, 
surely  it  is  not  a  bad  thing  for  you  to  make  use  of  the 
eyes  of  your  own  class.  I  have  known  it  done  many 
hundreds  of  times  right  in  the  class  form,  and  to  great 
advantage.  If  you  want  to  make  it  still  more  attractive 
to  your  scholars,  take  a  colored  pencil  with  you,  so  that 


128  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

the  very  color  shall  help  to  gain  their  attention.  I  have 
known  scholars  to  be  so  impressed  with  such  work  in 
the  class  as  to  go  home  and  do  o\er  again  for  mother 
all  that  the  teacher  had  done  in  the  class.  This  is  good 
both  for  the  child  and  the  mother. 

Now,  THE  Least  that  You  Can  Do  is  to  Try. 
If  you  are  never  willing  to  try  and  experiment,  you  will 
never  make  any  progress.  But  do  not  try  once  or  twice 
and  then  give  it  up.  Try,  try,  try  again.  It  will,  per- 
haps, take  you  a  couple  of  months  to  gain  ease  at  this 
kind  of  work,  but  the  result  is  well  worth  the  effort. 
Will  you  not  at  least  make  the  effort? 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE  BI.ACKBOARD. CONTINUED. 

IN  This  New  Edition  of  '*  Ways  of  Working  "  it  has 
seemed  best  to  add  a  full  chapter  on  blackboard 
work.  There  is  much  inquiry  for  additional  help 
along  this  line.  The  blackboard  exercises  given  here- 
with are  nearly  all  those  which  the  writer  used  in  his 
large  teachers'  classes  in  New  York  City  during  the 
first  half  of  1897.  There  were  other  exercises  of  which 
he  made  use  which  did  not  seem  to  be  as  successful  as 
these. 

Indeed,  it  Often  Happens  that  a  blackboard  exer- 
cise which  promises  well  does  not  turn  out  as  success- 
fully as  had  been  anticipated.  All  workers  have  this 
experience.  This  should  not,  however,  discourage  them, 
but  simply  teach  them  to  do  better  next  time. 

The  Blackboard  Marked  No.  i  was  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  "  Outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost."  On  the  four  words  contained  in  this 
exercise  the  events  of  that  notable  day  may  be  strung, 
for  there  were  the  miracles  of  the  rushing  wind,  cloven 
tongues,  multiplied  languages,  and  then  there  was  the 
meaning  of   all  this  as  explained   by  Peter.      Further- 

129 


130  WAYS    OF   WORKING. 

more,  there  was  the  throng,  part  of  which  was  filled 
with  wonder  (marvel),  and  part  of  which  simply 
mocked. 


In  No.  2  We  Have  Set  Forth  the  position  of  four 
prominent  men  in  Jerusalem,  two  of  whom  had  no 
official  or  social  standing,  and  two  of  whom  were  high 
officials  of  great  prominence.  In  using  this  exercise 
the  leader  brings  forth  the  fact  that,  because  of  their 
spiritual  power,  Peter  and  John  were  of  much  use  to 
Jerusalem  and  to  the  world,  whereas  Annas  and  Caia- 
phas,  because  unspiritual,  were  of  no  use  to  any- 
body. 

Take,  for  Another  Example,  No.  3.  Here 
we  have  the  facts  of  the  persecution  of  the  early 
church  at  the  time  of  Stephen's  martyrdom  clearly 
set  forth.  In  making  application  of  these  facts  to 
modern  times,  the  teacher  may  call  attention  to  this 
truth,  viz.  :  that  persecution  has  never  injured  the 
church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  persecuted  church  is 
almost  always  a  growing  church.  If  it  does  not 
grow  in  members,  it  grows  in  grace  and  spiritual 
power. 

No.  4  May  be  Used  to  Set  Forth  the  great  middle 
wall  of  partition  which  divided  between  the  Jew  and 
Gentile  world.  In  the  mind  of  the  apostles  all  Jews 
were  on  one  side  and   all  Gentiles  on   the   other.     If 


THE    BLACKJJOARD, 


131 


M  /^      T 

NO.I           ^ 

1\  /[    RACLE 
y   EANIN  Q 

ARVEL 
1         OCK 

NO  JI    . 

PETER  -ANNAS 
JOHN-GAIPHAS 
MUCH    -    NO 
USE 

No.  IV                             ;  i 

No. Ill 

STEPHEN -DIES 
SAUL-  RAGES 
CHURCH-FLEES 
TRUTH- GROWS 

^°^     SAUL 

r\ERSECUTES 
Ten  IT  EN  T 
RAYING 
REACHING 

"r        GOD  G 

CGRNELIUSTp 
PETER            U 

UIDES 

132 


WAYS    OF   WORKING. 


^ftMARlTAN 


No.Vlll 


HELPERS 

FRtE    -: 


RESIST;    : 

TEMPTED 
YiEi_a 

BOUND 


TEMPTERS 


\  AU  LS 
)   RISONS 
^    ERILS 

LEIASURES 
REACHING! 


GO     ;  :i    ■   - 

RIGH/ 

ON 
WORKINGf 


PL  A  N 

YOU  R 
WORK 


THE    BLACKBOARD.  133 

Gentiles  were  to  be  saved,  they  must  go  through  the 
narrow  door  of  ceremoniahsm  and  become  Jews  ;  then 
only  could  they  be  saved.  In  the  lesson  telling  of 
Peter's  visit  to  Cornelius  we  have  the  record  of 
the  breaking  down  of  this  middle  wall  of  partition. 
When  the  reviewer  comes  to  that  point,  let  him  take 
the  eraser  and  wipe  out  the  wall,  thus  showing  that 
there  is  no  longer  any  dividing  line  between  Jew 
and  Gentile,  but  that  all  alike  may  be  saved  through 
Jesus  Christ.  Of  course,  the  drawing  of  the  wall 
ought  to  be  done  before  the  school  assembles.  It  is 
not  hard. 

For  a  Helpful  Lesson  on  Saul's  conversion 
No.  5  was  found  thoroughly  useful.  The  word 
**Saul"  and  the  letter  ''  P  "  were  on  the  board 
when  the  review  began.  The  four  words,  each 
beginning  with  the  letter  «*P''  were  drawn  out  one 
by  one  from  the  class  and  put  on  the  board  as  the  class 
gave  them. 

A  Good  Blackboard  Exercise  is  No.  6.  It  was 
based  on  Peter's  message  to  Cornelius.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  review,  the  words  "God  guides"  were  on 
the  board.  The  fact  was  then  drawn  out  that  God 
guided  Cornelius  to  get  help.  The  further  fact  was 
then  educed  that  God  guided  Peter  to  Give  help.  These 
facts  were  put  down  on  the  board  as  the  school  gave 
them.  The  words  "  Cornelius  "  and  "  Peter  "  were  then 
wiped  out,  and  in  their  places  written  the  word  "  me.'' 


134  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

This,  then,  is  the  lesson  for  us  in  this  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. 


Very  Few  Superintendents  can  do  anything  in 
the  way  of  drawing,  but  an  exercise  like  No.  7  any- 
body can  do.  It  can  be  done  in  the  presence  of  the 
school,  and  adds  much  interest  and  gives  a  graphic 
touch  to  the  review.  It  bears  on  the  story  of  the  Good 
Samaritan. 


A  Capital  Exercise  for  any  Lesson  bearing 
on  temptation  is  No.  8.  Here  the  word  **  tempted" 
must  be  on  the  board  before  the  school  begins. 
This  is  the  experience  of  all  of  us,  for  the  man 
does  not  live  who  has  not  been  tempted.  But  here 
our  experiences  part  company.  There  are  some  who 
start  on  the  up  grade  and  resist.  This  makes  them 
free.  They  then  become  in  turn  helpers  to  others. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  those  who  yield.  The 
result  is  that  they  are  bound,  and,  as  a  rule,  they 
reach  their  lowest  depths  by  becoming  tempters  of 
others. 


A  Capital  Plan  for  the  Review  of  any  large 
portion  of  Paul's  life  is  found  in  No.  9.  I  need  not 
develop  this,  as  any  fairly  competent  teacher  can  easily 
see  how  to  make  application  of  the  five  words  on  the 
board. 


THE    BLACKBOARD.  I35 

For  a  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  Address,  I  have  made  good 
use  of  No.  10.  You  begin  here  with  the  board  blank. 
Put  on  first  the  word  '*  Go,"  and  speak  a  little  of  the 
boundless  go  of  our  age,  and  especially  that  of  young 
people.  But  ''  go  "  may  lead  a  man  astray  very  easily. 
Therefore,  all  ought  to  see  -that  they  go  right.  Put  the 
word  *' right"  down.  Speak,  then,  about  right  and 
wrong  courses,  and  how  the  right  may  be  ascertained. 
Unfortunately,  there  are  those  who  go  right  at  first,  and 
who  presently  swerve  from  the  narrow  path.  What  we 
need,  then,  is  to  go  right  on.  Put  the  word  **  on"  in 
its  place.  This  means  continuity.  *'  To  him  that  over- 
cometh,"  *'  He  that  endureth  to  the  end,"  etc.  Of 
course,  for  believers  it  is  important  that  they  should 
go  right  on  working.  Put  the  word  **  working  " 
in  its  place.  After  talking  about  such  work  as  your 
particular  society  ought  to  do,  wipe  out  everything 
on  the  board  excepting  the  initial  letters  of  the  four 
words.  You  will  then  find  you  have  left  the  word 
''  grow."  Well,  that  is  just  what  will  happen  to 
any  Christian  Endeavor  Society  that  goes  right  on 
working. 


Now  Finally  Look  at  No.  ii.  This  will  give  di- 
rection to  every  one  who  desires  to  become  a  competent 
blackboardist.  Before  you  go  on  to  the  platform  you 
must  plan  your  work.  As  soon  as  you  get  on  the  plat- 
form, however,  you  must  read  these  three  words  up- 
ward, and  work  your  plan. 


136  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

GooD-BY  Now  to  this  subject  of  the  blackboard,  and 
to  you.  Do  you  propose  to  carry  out  any  of  these  sug- 
gestions ?  If  not,  so  far  as  you  are  concerned,  printer's 
ink  has  been  spent  in  vain. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

SUNDAY    SCHOOL    MUSIC. 

THE  Music-Leader.  He  should  have  a  good 
voice,  and  not  be  afraid  of  using  it.  Nothing 
will  so  act  on  the  school  as  to  hear  a  good  voice  that 
leads  off  well.  The  leader  need  not  shout,  for  that  is 
not  necessary  or  agreeable,  but  he  should  sing  loud 
enough  for  all  the  school  to  feel  the  influence  of  his 
voice.  This  will  encourage  the  feeble  ones  who  do  not 
dare  to  sing,  lest  they  should  make  a  mistake. 

If  the  School  is  Large,  he  should  beat  time, 
and  that  with  a  leader's  baton,  in  such  a  way  that  the 
school  can  see  him.  Many  leaders  whom  I  see  beat 
time  so  low  down  that  the  scholars  cannot  see  their 
hands.  This  is  useless.  Hold  the  hand  high,  so  that 
all  may  see  the  motions  of  the  baton,  and  you  will  help 
the  school  in  keeping  time  very  much.  If  the  scholars 
still  lag,  beat  the  time  for  a  measure  or  so  on  the  book 
that  you  hold  in  your  hand,  and  that  will  appeal  to  their 
ears  as  well  as  to  their  eyes,  so  that  they  will  "  come 
up  to  time." 

When  the  Tune  is  New,  let  tlie  leader  sing  a  line 
at  a  time,  and  at  once  have  the  school  sing  it  after  him. 


138  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

In  this  way  a  tune  can  be  learned  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
the  school  will  see  the  ease  with  which  it  can  do  new 
and  even  difficult  work.  In  the  lesson  quarterlies 
there  are  nearly  always  some  new  tunes,  which  go 
unused  because  the  leader  is  afraid  to  take  them  up. 
He  need  not  fear,  but,  on  the  contrary,  should  realize 
that  the  school  will  be  very  grateful  to  him  if  he  gives 
them  new  things  to  sing.  One  new  piece  every  two 
weeks  will  not  tax  his  ability,  and  will  add  much  fresh- 
ness to  the  exercises  of  the  teachers. 

In  all  this  the  teacher  can  help  the  music-leader 
much  by  taking  part  and  encouraging  the  scholars  to 
do  the  same.  If  the  teacher  sits  idle  while  the  music- 
leader  is  doing  his  best  to  make  the  school  sing,  he 
throws  a  damper  on  the  whole  thing.  He  might  better 
stay  at  home.  I  do  not  now  refer  to  that  teacher  who 
cannot  sing,  but  to  that  one  who  can,  but  will  not. 
Try,  and  you  will  see  how  it  helps  you  yourself  to 
enjoy  the  whole  service.  When  teachers,  officers,  and 
scholars  all  sing  the  effect  is  always  good,  and  the 
classes  are  then  in  better  spirit  to  take  up  the  lesson. 

Often  the  Singing  of  a  school,  though  good  from 
a  musical  standpoint,  is  not  helpful  spiritually.  Why  is 
this?  Because  the  words  are  not  attended  to.  Music 
is  wings,  but  the  words  are  the  body.  Wings  without 
a  body  are  of  no  use,  and  so  music  that  does  not  help 
the  words  is  of  no  avail  from  a  spiritual  standpoint. 
Let    the    scholars    understand    that  the  words    are  the 


SUNDAY     SUHOOI.    MUSIC 


139 


MAIN  THING  in  the  singing,  and  try  to  have  them 
sing  with  understanding  as  well  as  the  spirit.  Let  the 
hymns  be  explained  at  times,  for  the  scholars  fail  to 
understand  what  they  sing  only  too  often.  How  many 
scholars,  for  example,  know  what  it  means  to  "  approach 
the  mercy  seat"?  How  many  of  them  catch  the  mean- 
ing of  the  words  :  — 

*' Though  like  a  wanderer, 
The  sun  gone  down, 
Darkness  be  over  me. 
My  rest  a  stone  "  ? 

Let  the  allusions,  therefore,  be  explained  to  the  school, 
and  they  will  then  sing  intelligently.  This  is  a  much- 
neglected  matter,  but  one  of  great  importance. 

Try  to  have  the  Hymns  that  are  given  out  bear 
some  direct  reference  to  the  theme  of  the  lesson  for  the 
day.  That  is  the  central  point  around  which  every- 
thing should  revolve.  And  yet  I  have  heard  hymns 
given  out  that  did  not  bear  the  remotest  relation  to  the 
lesson,  while  at  the  same  time  the  book  that  was  being 
used  had  very  appropriate  hymns  that  w^ould  have  been 
far  better  than  the  ones  that  were  chosen.  We  need  to 
exercise  good  common  sense  in  this  as  in  all  other 
matters  that  pertain  to  our  Sunday  school  work.  This 
will  require  careful  selection  of  the  hymns  before  the 
opening  of  the  school ;  but  that  is  the  business  of  those 
who  have  the  charge  of  the  school.  What  on  earth  are 
they  put  there  for,  if  not  for  work  of  that  kind  't 


140  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

Have  Books  Enough  so  that  each  person  shall 
have  one  to  himself.  I  have  been  in  many  schools 
where  there  are  not  enough  books  to  go  around.  In 
such  cases,  I  notice  that  they  supply  the  girls  first,  and 
the  boys  get  what  is  left.  Then  presently  the  music- 
leader  calls  out  to  the  boys,  "  Boys,  why  don't  you 
sing?  "  They  have  a  very  good  reason  for  not  singing. 
If  there  are  not  enough  books  to  go  around,  let  the  boys 
have  their  share,  but,  better  still,  go  to  work  and  get 
enough  foi'  all.  This  will  cost  some  money ;  but  if 
you  want  the  best  singing  you  must  pay  the  bills. 
Many  a  school  there  is  w^hich  lags  in  this  matter,  and 
then  wonders  why  its  music  does  not  go  as  well  as  it 
would  like  to  have  it. 

Variety  is  the  Spice  of  a  great  many  things  in 
this  life.  Therefore,  aim  to  have  variety  in  your  manner 
of  singing.  This  is  not  hard  to  secure.  Have  the 
school  sing  by  sides,  for  example,  and  they  will  be 
much  pleased.  In  a  tune  like  "  Shall  We  Gather  at  the 
River,"  have  one  side  sing  the  first  line,  and  the  other 
side  sing  the  second,  etc.,  through  the  verse,  and  then 
the  whole  school  Join  in  the  chorus.  This  will  give  a 
very  pleasing  variety  to  this  part  of  the  exercise,  and 
will  lead  many  to  try  and  sing  who  would  otherwise 
sag  back  and  take  no  part  m  the  music. 

At  times  let  the  leader  sing  the  verse,  and  let  the 
school  unite  in  the  refrain.  If  the  leader  cannot  do  this 
himself,  it  may  be  that  he  has  some  teacher  or  scholar 
who  can  do  it  well.     Use  all  the  talent  that  you   have. 


SUNDAY    SCHOOL    MUSIC.  I4I 

In  some  schools  there  is  a  boy  who  can  play  on  the  violin, 
and  another  who  can  do  fair  work  on  the  flute.  Use 
these  boys,  and  you  will  attach  them  to  the  school  very 
strongly,  and  at  the  same  time  have  a  pleasing  variety. 
At  times  have  the  boys  only  sing,  or  the  girls  only,  and 
then  let  all  join  in  at  the  signal  given  by  the  leader. 

There  are  other  ways  besides  these  that  I  have  indi- 
cated, which  will  occur  to  any  wide-awake  leader  who 
thinks  about  how  he  can  do  better  than  he  has  been 
doing.  Only  let  him  not  go  to  sleep  and  think  that  his 
school  is  doing  as  well  as  it  possibly  can. 

In  Some  Schools  I  have  seen  this  done.  The 
hymn  was  not  sung  at  all,  but  was  read  responsively 
by  superintendent  and  school.  This  is  a  good  thing  for 
a  change,  as  it  makes  the  school  think  of  the  meaning 
of  the  words  of  the  hymn,  and  not  of  the  music  only. 
Of  course  this  should  not  be  done  often,  but  onl}^  once 
in  a  while. 

Whispered  Tunes  are  very  agreeable.  Most  schools 
sing  too  loud,  and  in  some  that  I  have  visited  they 
seem  to  think  that  bazvUng  is  singing.  Loud  singing 
is  proper  at  times,  especially  in  triumphant  pieces.  But 
many  tunes  are  spoiled  by  the  volume  of  voice  that  the 
scholars  are  encouraged  to  pour  forth.  In  mission 
schools,  where  the  tendency  is  to  loud  talk,  quiet  hymns 
are  a  great  help  to  stillness.  Let  the  leader  train  the 
school  to  this  quiet  singing  when  the  theme  calls  for  it. 
and  then  the  loud  chorus  will  sound  all  the  louder  when 


142 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


it  comes.     Contrast  is  a  grand  thing,  and  can  be  reached 
in  this  way  very  effectively. 

In  Schools  Where  Much  is  Made  of  the  music, 
so  that  they  sing  a  great  deal,  there  ought  to  be  more 
than  one  complete  set  of  books.  This  will  give  variety, 
so  that  for  some  weeks  one  of  the  books  may  be  used, 
and  then  for  awhile  laid  aside,  and  the  other  brought 
out.  In  the  school  which  for  fourteen  years  I  super- 
intended we  had  four  different  sets  of  books.  In  this 
way  we  never  *'  sang  one  book  to  death."  This,  again, 
cost  money,  but  it  pays  well ;  and  the  church  that  treats 
its  scholars  liberally  will  by  and  by  take  such  a  pride  in 
the  singing  of  its  school  that  it  will  not  grudge  it  the 
needful  money  for  books. 

When  the  Time  for  the  Christmas  or  Easter 
music  comes  round,  do  not  stop  or  curtail  the  time  for 
the  lesson.  Many  schools  at  the  holiday  time  are 
demoralized  by  their  musical  drill.  There  is  no  need 
for  this  at  all ;  and  if  the  music-leader  says  there  is,  he 
is  mistaken.  Fifteen  minutes  each  day  for  six  weeks 
before  the  celebration  is  enough  for  any  school  to  learn 
its  new  hymns.  Only  this  time  must  be  used  and  not 
frittered  away  in  idle  talk.  Most  leaders  talk  too  nmch 
and  sing  too  little.  Hard  work  will  conquer  a  tune  in 
six  minutes,  and  then  a  new  one  can  be  brought  for- 
ward. In  this  way  the  lesson-time  may  still  be  main- 
tained, and  the  school  learn  all  the  Christmas  hymns 
that  it  needs. 


\  SUNDAY    SCHOOL    MUSIC.  I43 

There  are  Some  Schools  where  they  seem,  at 
times,  to  think  that  music  was  made  to  deaden  noise 
arising  from  some  cause  or  other.  If,  for  example, 
there  is  a  large  number  of  late-comers  who  pour  in 
after  a  prayer  has  been  offered,  during  which  prayer 
the  doors  have  been  closed,  a  hymn  is  given  out  by 
the  leader  to  be  sung  while  the  late-comers  are  taking 
their  places.  This  is  very  improper,  for  singing  is  as 
much  devotion  as  prayer,  and  it  is  not  fitting  that  it 
should  be  used  as  a  cover  for  the  noise  of  those  who 
are  late.  Far,  far  better  do  nothing  at  all  while  the 
late  scholars  are  taking  their  seats  than  try  to  sing  down 
their  clatter. 

This  will  make  them  a  little  ashamed  that  they  have 
managed  to  be  late,  and  at  the  same  time  will  teach 
your  scholars  that  you  think  enough  of  the  devotional 
part  of  the  musical  service  not  to  use  it  merely  to  drown 
a  noise  with.  It  exalts  the  musical  work,  and  thus 
gives  it  a  dignity  that  it  often  fails  to  have  in  the  eyes 
of  the  school.  In  the  school  that  I  used  to  have  we 
never  sang  while  anything  else  was  going  on.  "  One 
thing  at  a  time  "  was  our  rule ;  and  when  we  sang  we 
did  nothing  else  ;  and  when  the  late-comers  were  taking 
their  seats  we  did  nothing  but  quietly  wait  for  them. 

It  is  Possible  to  make  too  much  of  singing  in  our 
work.  Some  schools  so  handle  their  music  that  it  over- 
shadows all  else  in  the  exercises.  This  is  a  mistake. 
The  central  thing  in  every  school  ought  to  be  the  teach- 
ing of  the  lesson.     All  else  is,  or  should  be,  subordi- 


144  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

nate  to  this.  The  Word  of  God  must  be  exalted  in  all 
our  work  ;  and  singing,  and  even  prayer,  should  circle 
around  the  one  idea,  that  we  are  here  to-day  for  the 
reverent  study  of  GoiTs  Word. 

To  turn  a  school  exercise  into  a  kind  of  a  sacred  con- 
cert is  a  great  mistake  ;  and  when  this  kind  of  concert 
becomes  but  slightly  sacred,  and  semi-ballads  are  used, 
as  I  have  heard  done,  it  is  a  profanation  of  the  time 
devoted  to  the  school  exercises.  Never  let  the  school 
degenerate  into  a  concert-hall,  in  which  some  listen  and 
others  perform.  This  is  what  many  of  our  churches 
have  done  in  the  matter  of  their  singing,  where  a  quar- 
tette choir  does  all  the  singing,  and  sings  such  music 
that  the  congregation  does  not  understand  the  words  at 
all,  and  is  as  wise  as  if  the  singers  had  sung  the  hymn 
in  Choctaw. 

Much  quartette  choir-work  is  a  pure  abomination  to 
God,  and  a  snare  to  the  people.  I  say  this  with  good 
right,  for  I  have  sung  in  such  choirs,  and  have  been  a 
member  of  a  boy-choir,  and  a  leader  of  a  mixed  choir 
as  well.  And  my  witness  is  that  there  is  very  little  real 
praise  in  most  choirs,  and  much  self-seeking  and  con- 
sequent jealousy  where  there  ought  to  be  real  harmo.iy 
and  much  praise  to  God.  Keep  the  whole  thing  out  of 
the  Sunday  school ;  and  there,  at  least,  have  the  people, 
yea,  ALL  the  people,  praise  the  Lord,  and  in  their 
praise  let  the  superintendent  be  as  helpful  as  possible, 
so  that  they  may  sing  with  the  spirit,  and  with  under- 
standing as  well.  Then  your  musical  part  of  the  ser- 
vice will  be  a  help  and  not  a  hindrance  to  spiritual  work. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

BENEVOLENT    OFFERINGS. 

I  NEVER  yet  was  in  any  Sunday  school  where  they  did 
not  take  a  collectioa.  This  idea  of  giving  seems 
to  have  fastened  itself  firmly  to  all  Sunday  school  work, 
and  to  form  a  part  of  it.  This  is  good.  It  trains  the 
children  in  the  idea  that  giving  is  a  part  of  worship, 
and  a  Christian  duty,  as  well  as  privilege.  The  collec- 
tion is  so  important  a  matter  in  all  our  work  that  I  shall 
take  all  the  space  at  my  command  to  enlarge  on  it. 

The  Collection  is  a  Very  Important  Part  of 
the  Sunday  school  service.  When  we  consider  the 
power  of  the  Sunday  schools  of  this  land  in  a  financial 
light,  we  are  amazed.  We  have  millions  of  scholars 
and  about  one  million  of  teachers  in  our  American 
schools.  Suppose  that  each  of  these  gave  an  average 
of  one  cent  each  Sunday  through  the  year.  What  a 
vast  sum  that  would  amount  to  at  the  close  of  the  year ! 
Take  the  scholars  as  numbering  eight  million,  and  the 
teachers  one,  and  you  have  the  stupendous  sum  of 

Four  Millions  Six  Hundred  and  Eight  Thou- 
sand Dollars.  This  is  no  small  sum,  as  all  will 
agree.     It  is  nearl}^  as  mucii  as  the  combined  denomina- 


146  M^AYS    OF    WORKING. 

tions  of  our  land  give  for  Home  and  Foreign  Missions 
each  year.  And  yet  it  is  not  all  an  impossible  sum  for 
our  schools  to  give.  It  only  involves  the  faithful  giving 
of  one  cent  a  Sunday  by  each  member  of  our  schools. 
If  now  any  one  should  say  that  there  are  many  in  our 
schools  who  could  not  afford  to  give  a  cent  a  week,  we 
should  be  inclined  to  doubt  the  assertion. 

But  even  if  it  were  so,  there  are  many  tens  of  thou- 
sands who  could  give  five,  ten,  or  even  twenty-five 
cents  a  week,  and  so  make  up  for  the  really  poverty- 
stricken  ones.  But  even  those  who  are  poor  are  rarely 
so  poor  that  they  could  not  give  this  sum,  IF  THEY 
WERE  TAUGHT  TO  DO  SO.  We  had  a  count 
made  once  of  the  amount  taken  in  penny  purchases  of 
gum,  candy,  and  ice-cream  in  seven  candy  stores,  in  a 
very  poor  district  in  New  York  City,  each  week,  and 
we  found  that  it  amounted  to 

One  Hundred  and  Seventy-Five  Dollars  a 
Week.  Near  by  there  was  a  large  Sunday  school,  and 
a  short  calculation  showed  that  each  of  these  candy 
stores  took  in  each  week  a  larger  sum  than  was  given  at 
the  Sunday  school.  The  amounts  that  are  spent  in 
cities  and  towns  in  such  small  purchases  are  really 
astonishing,  and  show  that,  even  among  the  poor, 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  spare  money.  But  if  children 
have  such  a  large  measure  of  that  latent  financial 
power, 

I  Have  Said  Enough  Now  to  call  attention  to  the 


BENEVOLENT    OFFERINGS. 


147 


importance  of  this  financial  matter  in  our  schools,  and 
will  go  on  to  give  a  few  particulars  as  to  the  methods  of 
giving  and  the  object  of  our  contributions.  First,  as  to 
the  objects  to  which  we  should  give.  Some  schools  eat 
up  all  their  offerings,  using  the  money  to  pay  for  helps, 
Sunday  school  papers,  and  the  like.  These  schools 
plead  poverty,  and  say  that  they  have  no  one  to  lean  on 
for  their  support,  and  therefore  are  forced  to  eat  up 
their  own  collections.  This  is  an  evil.  No  school 
should  consume  on  itself  all  that  it  collects.  If  the 
school  be  really  poor,  it  still  should  reserve  at  least  a 
part  of  w^hat  the  teachers  and  scholars  give,  to  send  the 
gospel  to  others.  If  the  school  is  in  connection  with  a 
church,  let  the  leaders 

Call  on  the  Church  to  Pay  for  Their  Sup- 
plies. If  they  call  loud  enough  and  often  enough,  the 
result  will  be  that  they  will  be  heard  and  answered. 
Many  a  church  fails  to  support  its  school  only  because 
it  is  ignorant  that  the  school  needs  the  help,  and  the 
duty  of  the  church's  supporting  its  own  school  has  never 
been  sufficiently  pressed  home  on  the  members. 

Let  a  committee  wait  on  the  board  of  church  officers, 
and  present  their  cause.  Let  the  teachers  and  officers 
talk  the  matter  up  in  the  congregation,  and  let  their 
wants  be  known.  Let  them  show  a  willingness  to  take 
their  share  of  the  burden,  and  make  some  sacrifice  so 
that  the  school  may  be  well  supplied  with  all  that  it 
needs.  In  this  way,  in  time,  the  church  will  come  up 
to  its  duty  in  this  matter,  and  the  pennies   and  quarters 


148  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

of  the  scholars  will   be  free  to  go  to  those  who  need 
them  more  than  they  do  themselves. 

If  the  Church  Cannot  Give  All  That  is 
Needed,  let  it  do  what  it  can,  and  then  take  a  part  of 
what  the  school  gives  to  make  out  the  rest.  The  bal- 
ance (which  should  be  as  large  as  possible)  should  then 
go  to  some  worthy  cause  outside  of  the  school.  This 
will  give  the  scholars  something  unselfish  to  work  for, 
and  that  will  not  only  stimulate  them  to  give,  but  will 
prove  a  blessing  to  them,  for  what  Jesus  said  is  still 
true,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  It 
trains  them  to  unselfishness,  and  when  they  grow  to  years 
of  maturity  they  will  have  formed  a  habit  of  giving  that 
will  be  apt  to  cling  to  them  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

Inform  the  School  in  Detail  what  is  done  with 
its  gifts.  If  you  give  to  the  boards  of  your  church,  let 
the  scholars  be  told  (and  that  frequently)  where  those 
boards  are  working,  and  to  what  the  money  that  the 
school  gives  is  apportioned.  Even  the  youngest  scholars 
can  be  interested  in  mission  work  in  India,  if  they  know 
that  their  money  goes  to  support  a  girl  in  some  mission 
school  there,  and  if  a  letter  from  the  missionary  is  read 
to  the  school  from  time  to  time.  Get  some  wide-awake 
returned  missionary  to  address  the  school,  from  time  to 
time,  and  see  if  it  does  not  wonderfully  stimulate  the 
offerings  of  your  scholars.     Then 

Have  an  Annual  Meeting   (or  better  a  quarterly 


BKNEVOT.ENT    OFFERINGS.  I49 

meeting),  in  wliicli  full  reports  are  given  of  tne  amounts 
collected,  and  the  way  in  which  they  have  been 
expended.  These  meetings  need  not  usurp  the  place 
of  the  scliool  session  (indeed,  it  is  had  to  allow  them  to 
do  so),  but  can  be  supplementary  to  the  school  session, 
which  on  those  days  may  well  be  shortened  a  little. 
The  result  will  be  intelligent  giving,  which  is  the  best 
kind  of  giving  that  I  know  of. 

Take  a  Collection  Every  Week.  —  Some  schools 
do  this  only  once  a  month.  This  is  better  than  nothing, 
but  not  a  quarter  as  good  as  once  a  week.  Giving  once 
a  w^eek  hurts  no  one,  and  it  is  a  great  deal  easier  to 
give  a  cent  once  a  week  than  than  to  give  four  cents 
once  a  month.  Let  the  offering  be  anounced  each  Sun- 
day of  w^hat  is  given  that  day,  or,  if  the  school  is  too 
large  to  allow  of  this,  then  let  it  be  done  the  following 
week.  In  this  w^ay  the  interest  of  the  school  is  kept 
alive,  and  if  the  offerings  are  falling  off  attention  can 
be  called  to  it  in  time. 

Do  Not  Let  the  Scholars  be  Treasurers  in 
the  classes,  as  it  leads  them  into  temptation,  especially 
if  they  are  allowed  to  keep  the  sums  contributed  for 
four  wrecks  before  they  hand  them  in.  This  is  a  very  bad 
system,  and  yet  I  have  found  it  existing  in  some  schools. 
I  have  no  sort  of  doubt  that  in  this  stupid  way  a  good 
deal  of  money  is  stolen.  We  have  no  right  to  put 
temptation  in  the  scholar's  way  in  such  a  manner. 
Let  the  teacher  be  the  treasurer,  and  each  Sunday  let 


150  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

the  money  be  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  general  Sun- 
day-school treasurer,  and  let  him  be  obliged  to  give 
strict  account  of  all  that  he  receives  and  expends. 
There  is  no  reason  why  we  should  be  foolish  w^hen  we 
handle  the  Lord's  money,  w^hen  we  are  wise  in  the 
handling  of  our  own. 

Print  a  Treasurer's  Account  Every  Year, 
and  let  each  member  of  the  school  have  a  copy.  This 
will  not  cost  much,  and  if  you  have  a  boy  in  your  school 
who  owns  a  printing  press,  he  may  be  glad  to  do  it  for 
nothing.  But  in  this  way  you  scatter  information,  and 
raise  interest,  and  the  people  will  see  that  you  are  wide- 
awake in  your  school.  Everybody  loves  wide-awake 
things,  and  if  your  school  gets  a  reputation  for  being 
bright  and  progressive,  it  will  help  the  school  in  many 
ways. 

Discuss  This  Whole  Matter  in  the  Teachers' 
Meeting. — In  this  way  the  teachers  will  have  an 
opportunity  to  give  expression  to  their  thoughts  and  ask 
questions,  so  that  when  they  adopt  any  of  the  sugges- 
tions that  are  made  they  will  do  it  intelligently.  Many  a 
reform  movement  in  our  schools  fails  of  success  because 
it  is  sprung  on  the  teachers  before  they  know  anything 
about  the  whys  and  wherefores  of  the  movement.  This 
is  evil.  As  a  result  they  fail  heartily  to  co-operate,  and 
the  effort  proves  abortive.  This  in  turn  leads  them  to 
discount  the  next  advance  movement,  and  in  time  the 
school  becomes  so  stationary  that  is  impossible  to  make 


BENEVOLENT    OFFERINGS. 


151 


it  get  out  of  its  ruts.  In  our  own  school  we  never  made 
any  advance  movement  unless  we  carried  it  by  a  large 
majority  of  the  teachers,  for  we  thought  that  we  had 
better  postpone  such  plans  until  we  had  convinced  nearly 
all  the  teachers  of  its  advisability.  Then  we  went 
ahead,  and  were  sure  to  make  it  a  success. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    GRADED    SCHOOL. 

THE  Graded  School  is  My  Theme  for  This 
Chapter.  —  This  theme  is  not  one  of  prime 
importance  for  small  schools,  for  in  them  the  evils  of  a 
lack  of  grading  are  not  very  great.  Yet  even  in  them  it 
is  w^ell  to  have  some  system  in  this  matter.  But  in  large 
schools  the  importance  of  right  grading  is  very  great. 

You  would  never  think  this  to  be  the  case,  if  you 
looked  at  some  schools  that  I  know  of,  where  things  are 
so  managed  that  one  might  judge  grading  to  be  of  no 
importance  at  all.  In  some  such  schools  scholars  are 
put  into  classes  in  a  hap-hazard  kind  of  a  way,  with 
results  that  are  disastrous  in  the  extreme.  It  would 
really  seem  that  the  superintendent  had  no  system  at  all 
by  which  he  governed  his  action  in  this  matter. 

If  a  scholar  brings  with  her  a  friend,  and  begs  to 
have  her  put  into  the  same  class,  it  is  done  entirely  irre- 
spective of  any  consideration  as  to  whether  the  new- 
comer is  fit  for  that  class.  As  a  result  I  have  known 
scholars  of  such  divergent  ages  as  eleven  and  nineteen  to 
be  in  the  same  class.  This  is  a  great  evil,  and  betokens 
very  careless  supervision. 

Work  of  Tins  Kind   Hampers  the   Teacher.  — 

152 


.  THE    GRADED    SCHOOL.  I53 

How  can  she  teach  when  the  class  is  so  incongruous  in 
capacities?  What  will  suit  the  eleven-year-old  child 
will  not  meet  the  wants  of  the  one  nineteen  years  old. 
The  result  will  be  that,  in  trying  to  do  the  impossible, 
the  teacher  will  fail,  and  as  like  as  not  soon  resign. 
Many  resignations  that  come  to  the  superintendent  arise 
from  just  such  causes  as  this,  and  the  superintendent 
who  blames  the  teacher  is  really  himself  to  blame  for 
allowing  such  a  state  of  things  to  exist. 

A  Further  Evil  Result  is  found  in  the  indifference 
of  scholars  in  such  a  school.  They  know  well  enough 
that  in  the  public  school  things  are  managed  more  sen- 
sibly, and  they  feel  as  though  they  did  not  want  to 
remain  where  more  sense  is  not  shown.  So  they  stay 
away,  and  that  with  at  least  some  measure  of  good  rea- 
son. They  may  not  state  this  as  the  cause  of  their 
failure  to  attend,  but  the  fact  remains  all  the  same.  So 
teachers  and  scholars  come  and  go,  and  the  cause 
abides  permanently,  whereas,  if  the  cause  were  to  be 
removed,  there  would  be  much  more  stability  among 
teachers  and  taught. 

But  as  Soon  as  Any  One  Speaks  of  Grading 
there  will  arise,  in  the  minds  of  many,  difficulties.  Yes, 
I  admit  that,  but  if  \ve  are  to  stop  in  our  work  as  soon 
as  w^e  encounter  a  difficulty  we  might  as  well  give  up 
all  work  at  once.  One  of  these  difficulties  arises  from 
the  affection  of  scholars  for  a  given  teacher.  They 
threaten  to  leave  the  school  if  anything  is   done  to   part 


1 54  WAYS    OF   WORKING. 

them  from  their  teacher.  Or  else  the  difficulty  arises 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  who  objects  to  parting  with 
some  of  her  scholars.  Or  it  may  be  that  the  scholar  is 
opposed  to  uniting  with  the  class  to  which  he  is  assigned. 
All  these  are  real  difficulties,  which  lie  in  the  path  of 
the  grading  of  a  school.  But  they  are  not  by  any 
means  insurmountable,  as  experience  has  proved. 

Again  it  may  be  claimed  that  this  work  of  grading, 
and  of  consequent  transferrals  from  time  to  time,  makes 
much  work,  and  that  the  superintendent  has  not  the 
time  for  so  many  additional  cares.  This  is  no  real 
objection,  for  the  remedy  is  close  at  hand,  and  is  found 
in  the  election  of  additional  officers,  so  that  the  whole 
burden  of  work  may  not  fall  on  the  shoulders  of  one 
man.     Surely  that  is  easy,  is  it  not? 

Now  Look  at  the  Reasons  Why  a  School 
Should  be  Graded. — In  the  first  place,  this  is  the 
dictate  of  common  sense.  All  admit  this,  up  to  a  cer- 
tain point.  For  all  schools  are  in  a  measure  graded. 
All  have,  for  example,  the  primary,  and  intermediate, 
and  the  senior  grades.  But  here  many  stop,  and  fail 
to  grade  any  more  carefully  than  this.  But  in  all  our 
public  schools  the  result  of  much  experience  is  that  more 
careful  grading  than  this  is  an  absolute  necessity. 

If  that  is  so  in  secular  schools  we  may  be  sure  that 
the  same  is  true  in  Sunday  schools.  The  scholars 
themselves  will  be  pleased  to  see  that  methods  to  which 
they  have  become  accustomed  in  their  daily  life  are 
adopted  in  their  Sunday  instruction.     If  they  find  that 


THE    GRADED    SCHOOL. 


155 


the  Sunday  school  is  backward  in   these  matters  they 
will  secretly  despise  that  branch  of  their  education. 

The  Testimony  of  All  Teachers  who  have  tried 
the  graded  system  is  to  the  effect  that  they  do  much 
better  work,  and  that,  too,  much  more  easily  with 
graded  than  they  ever  did  with  ungraded  classes.  This 
ought  to  be  sufficient  to  convince  any  one  of  the  excel- 
lence of  this  method.  No  teacher  who  has  ever  tried 
a  properly  graded  class  will  want  to  go  back  to  one  that 
is  poorly  graded. 

An  Ounce  of  Experience  is  Worth  a  Pound 
OF  Theory.  —  So  I  will  give  in  detail  the  experience 
of  one  school  that  I  know  of,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be 
of  much  value  to  those  who  desire  to  do  better  work  in 
their  own  schools.  The  school  in  question  was  a  large 
one.  It  had  one  primary  class,  a  large  one,  many 
intermediate  classes,  not  well  graded,  and  a  senior 
department.  But  the  divergence  of  ages  in  the  inter- 
mediate classes  was  great,  and  in  the  primary  classes 
were  many  who  could  not  read,  with  many  that  could. 
The  scholars  in  the  intermediate  department  dropped 
out  largely  before  they  reached  the  senior  ranks.  So 
the  superintendent,  after  much  thought,  prepared  a  blank 
which  he  sent  to  all  his  teachers.     It  read  as  follows  :  — 

Dear  Friend:  I  see  that  in  your  class  are  scholars 
ranging  from  to  years  of  age.  I  am  sure  that 
you  must  find  it  difficult  to  teach  scholars  of  such  diverg- 


156  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

ent  ages.  May  I  suggest  that  hereafter  your  class 
grade  reach  from,  say,  eleven  to  fourteen,  or  twelve  to 
fifteen,  or  thirteen  to  sixteen,  as  the  case  might  be? 
This  will  not  involve  your  losing  any  of  your  present 
scholars,  but  it  means  that  hereafter  no  child  will  be  put 
into  your  class  under  eleven,  and  none  be  retained  over 
fourteen.  If  you  agree  to  this  plan,  please  let  me 
know,  and  I  will  grade  your  class  accordingly. 
Yours  very  sincerely. 


This  Was  Given  to  Every  Teacher  in  the 
School.  Out  of  the  whole  number  only  two  or  three 
responded  favorably.  Two  or  three  were  quite  indig- 
nant, and  answered  that  they  wanted  their  classes  to 
be  let  alone.  All  the  rest  in  no  way  condescended 
to  respond  at  all.  So  the  superintendent  graded 
the  classes  of  those  who  had  consented  to  it, 
and  waited  patiently  for  some  months,  to  let  the  plan 
work. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  he  asked  the  teachers  who 
had  tried  the  plan  to  make  a  report  in  the  teachers' 
meeting  as  to  how  it  had  worked.  They  all  reported 
most  favorably,  some  saying  that  they  had  never  had 
such  good  success  in  teaching  before.  He  then  quietly 
said,  *'  If  any  more  of  the  teachers  desire  to  have  their 
classes  graded,  they  may  apply  to  me  and  I  will  be 
happy  to  do  it  for  them."  About  half  the  teachers 
responded  favorably,  and  their  classes  were  added  to 
the  number  of  graded  classes. 


THE    GRADED    SCHOOL.  I57 

Aoi'^iN  A  Pause  of  About  Six  Months.  Then 
the  matter  was  once  more  alluded  to  in  the  teachers' 
meeting,  and  those  who  had  tried  the  plan  since  the 
last  meeting  were  called  upon  to  report.  Their  report 
was  so  good  that  at  last  every  single  teacher  in  the 
school  consented  to  try  the  new  measure,  so  that  the 
whole  school  came  under  the  uniform  regulations. 
Ever  since  that  they  have  worked  on  the  "  graded 
system,"  and  now,  if  any  one  should  propose  to  return 
to  the  old  method,  there  would  be  a  great  outcry  in  that 
school  against  such  a  step. 

The  Result  is  That  the  Classes  Are  Graded 
about  as  follows  :  Two  primary  classes.  In  the  one 
go  all  who  cannot  read.  In  the  second,  those  who  can 
read  easy  words  when  printed  on  the  blackboard.  As 
soon  as  they  can  read  with  facility  they  are  transferred 
to  the  intermediate  school,  where  they  are  put  into 
such  classes  as  their  ages  fit  them  for.  In  the  inter- 
mediate grade,  all  classes  are  graded  according  to  age, 
the  ages  stretching  over  three  years,  as,  for  example, 
eleven  to  fourteen,  twelve  to  fifteen,  thirteen  to  sixteen, 
etc.  Of  course  in  a  large  school  there  will  be  several 
classes  graded  from  eleven  to  fourteen,  both  among  the 
boys  and  the  girls.  In  this  way  provision  is  made  by 
which  scholars  of  about  the  same  intelligence  can  be  kept 
together,  and  so  the  work  of  the  teacher  be  facilitated. 

Juniors  Are  Those  Who  Are  Over  Sixteen 
Years  of  Age,  and  all  who  reach  that  age  are  gradu- 


158 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


ated  into  that  department.  Then  come  the  seniors, 
who  are  from  eighteen  years  of  age  onward.  Now, 
this  plan  has  some  modifications  which  experience  has 
shown  to  be  wise.  If  a  teacher  has  shown  power 
enough  to  hold  her  class  of,  say,  eleven  to  fourteen  years 
of  age  for  a  series  of  years,  and  they  are  now  all  ready 
to  go  into  a  higher  grade,  instead  of  promoting  them 
all  away  from  her  and  giving  her  a  new  class,  all  that 
is  done  is  to  raise  the  age  grade  of  her  class,  to  thirteen 
to  sixteen  years,  so  that  she  keeps  all  her  old  scholars. 
Teacher  and  class  go  up  together.  I  have  seen  a  class 
thus  go  on  bodily  to  the  junior  grade  and  then  again  to 
the  senior  department,  much  to  the  advantage  of 
teacher,  scholars,  and  school. 

But  How  About  the  Unwillingness  of  scholars 
and  teachers  to  part  when  they  must?  This  very 
seldom  occurs,  after  the  school  once  appreciates  that  it 
is  for  the  best  of  all  concerned.  At  the  same  time  in 
the  school  to  which  I  have  referred,  no  scholar  was  ever 
transferred  to  a  higher  grade,  without  consultation  with 
the  teacher  first.  If  there  was  any  especial  reason  why 
that  particular  scholar  should  be  held  for  awhile  longer, 
it  was  always  done.  For  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the 
scholar  must  always  override  any  mere  regulations  of 
the  school.  But  such  cases  are  rare  and  can  be  well 
cared  for  as  they  arise. 

Such  Transfers  as  we  Have  Alluded  to  Above 
should  be  made  once  a  year.     Probably  the  best  time 


THE    GRADED    SCHOOL.  I59 

of  the  3^ear  is  the  close.  If  this  be  not  often  enough  it 
may  be  made  twice  a  year,  but  to  do  it  more  frequently 
than  this  would  not  be  wise.  There  is  always  some 
little  necessary  disturbance  in  the  process,  and  it  is  well 
to  minimize  that  as  much  as  possible.  Then,  too,  each 
transfer  involves  the  rewriting  of  all  the  class  rolls,  and 
in  a  large  school  that  is  quite  a  piece  of  work.  But 
once  a  year  is  necessary,  if  the  school  is  to  feel  the 
best  results  of  the  system. 

Of  Course  Such  a  System  Involves  care  in 
putting  new  scholars  into  any  class.  If  you  have  a 
new  applicant  and  she  is  twelve  years  old,  you  will  not 
put  her  into  a  class  whose  age  grade  is  nine  to  twelve 
for  that  would  involve  her  transferral  in  one  year  at  the 
furthest.  It  would  be  better  to  put  her  into  a  class 
whose  age  grade  was  twelve  to  fifteen,  for  this  would 
allow  her  to  remain  under  that  one  teacher  for  three 
years.  This  in  itself  is  an  advantage  for  teacher  and 
scholar,  as  you  will  readily  see. 

Under  Whose  Charge  Ought  All  These  Trans- 
FERRALS  TO  BE?  In  Small  schools  the  superintendent 
may  well  take  charge  of  them.  But  in  large  schools  of 
four  to  ten  hundred  scholars  his  time  will  not  permit 
him  to  do  work  of  this  kind.  He  ought  to  have  the 
most  competent  person  in  his  school  as  assistant  superin- 
tendent and  to  him  (or  her)  delegate  this  most  import-: 
ant  duty.  In  many  schools  you  have  as  teacher  some 
public  school  teacher.     She  is  just  the  one  to  do  work 


l6o  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

of  this  kind.  For,  in  the  first  phice,  she  believes  in 
promotions,  and,  in  the  second  place,  she  has  had  expe- 
rience in  work  of  this  kind.  She  probably  knows  child 
nature  better  than  the  superintendent  himself,  and  can 
do  better  than  he  can.  The  very  fact  that  she  is  a 
woman  will  enable  her  to  handle  the  lady  teachers 
better  than  a  man  can  do.  In  our  school  this  work  was 
entirely  done  by  a  lady,  and  it  was  admirably  accom- 
plished. 

But  Does  All  This  Pay?  So  asks  the  conserva- 
tive superintendent.  Yes,  I  reply,  it  pays  well.  It  is 
a  good  deal  of  trouble  at  the  first,  but  as  soon  as  it  is  in 
working  order  you  will  find  that  your  whole  school 
feels  the  impulse  of  the  forward  movement.  Teachers 
and  scholars  alike  will  praise  the  new  order  of  things, 
and  find  that  they  can  accomplish  much  better  work 
under  it,  and  with  much  less  friction,  than  under  the 
old  haphazard  way  of  doing  things.  All  schools  that 
have  tried  it  bear  the  same  witness,  and  why  should 
our  school  be  an  exception?  If  you  want  ''the  best" 
do  not  shun  the  trouble  that  it  costs.  But,  of  course, 
if  you  are  satisfied  with  a  poorer  way,  all  you  have  to 
do  is  to  stick  to  your  old  method,  and  you  will  have  it, 
and  a  poor  school  besides. 

If  Now  You  Want  to  Begin  and  grade  your  own 
school  remember  that  it  is  not  the  work  of  a  week  or  a 
month.  The  teachers  have  so  far  been  accustomed  to 
the  old  way,  and  you  will  find  it  hard  to  make  them 
accept    a    change.      It   will    never    do    to   "ordain"   a 


THE    GRADED    SCHOOL.  l6l 

change  '^simply  by  virtue  of  your  authority  as  superin- 
tendent. You  must  discuss  the  question  with  them, 
and  explain  how  it  will  work,  and  what  are  the  advan- 
tages that  will  come  to  tliem  as  the  result  of  the  new 
method.  Even  then  you  will  find,  as  I  did,  that  many 
of  them  will  show  but  languid  interest  in  the  whole 
matter,  while  some  will  be  sure  to  oppose  it  altogether. 
Then  what  shall  you  do?  Wait  patiently,  and  try  it  in 
those  classes  that  are  willing  to  make  the  experiment. 

Then  x\fter  Weeks  of  Trial  bring  the  matter 
up  again,  and  let  those  who  have  made  the  advance 
report,  and  you  will  be  sure  to  find  that  such  report  will 
stimulate  others  to  make  the  experiment  in  their  own 
classes.  In  this  way,  in  due  time,  the  whole  school 
will  fall  into  line,  and  the  end  will  be  that  you  will 
have  a  well-graded  school. 

Much  Importance  is  to  be  Placed  on  the  choice 
of  the  right  individual  to  carry  out  the  details  of  this 
scheme.  If  you  have  (as  I  had)  a  public  school  teacher 
in  your  school,  put  it  into  her  hands.  She  will  be  in 
sympathy  with  the  movement  from  the  start,  and  this  is 
a  good  point.  From  the  fact  that  she  had  to  think  of 
these  matters  in  her  own  daily  life,  they  will  come 
to  her  more  easily,  and  she  will  avoid  certain  points  of 
needless  friction. 

You  will  need  the  suaviter  in  modo^  as  well  as  the 
foriiter  in  7'c,  to  carry  3'our  plan  to  a  successful  issue, 
and  no  one  has  this  in  larger  measure  than  a  wise  and 


1 62  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

godly  public  school  teacher.  In  many  schools  there 
are  several  such  workers,  and  the  pity  of  it  is  that  their 
peculiar  talents  are  not  more  frequently  employed  on 
just  such  details  of  Sunday  school  management.  Use 
them,  therefore,  and  be  thankful  that  God  has  given 
you  such  grand  co-workers. 

Is  IT  All  Done  Now?  No,  you  have  only  made 
a  good  '*  START."  Many  a  school  has  gone  into  the 
"  grading  system,"  only  to  give  it  up  after  awhile 
through  pure  carelessness.  It  must  be  kept  up  year  in 
and  year  out.  All  new  scholars  will  have  to  be  treated 
in  conformity  with  the  plan  adopted,  and  all  transfers 
and  promotions  will  have  to  follow  the  general  plan. 
This  involves,  as  I  have  said  above,  much  work,  espe- 
cially at  certain  times  of  the  year.  This  is  why  I  advo- 
cate the  putting  of  this  department  in  the  hands  of  some 
competent  person  whose  sole  business  it  is.  She  will 
have  enough  to  keep  her  busy,  if  the  school  is  at  all 
large.  In  very  large  schools  she  will  have  to  have  an 
assistant.  But,  by  degrees,  the  whole  thing  will  become 
a  part  of  the  recognized  life  of  the  school,  and  will  pro- 
duce the  good  results  that  always  come  from  intelligent 
and  persistent  work  for  the  good  of  others. 

Finally,  How  Far  Should  This  Grading  Go, 
and  how  many  subdivisions  should  be  made?  This  will 
depend  on  the  size  of  the  school,  and  also  on  the 
structure  of  the  Sunday  school  room.  In  large  schools 
it  may  well  go  thus  far  :  — 


THE    GRADED    SCHOOL.  163 

Primary  one,  for  all  who  cannot  read. 

Primary  two,  for  all  who  can  read  easy  words. 

Intermediate,  for  all  who  can  read  fairly  well  in  the 
Bible,  whatever  their  age.  Of  course,  of  such  classes 
there  will  be  quite  a  number  in  almost  every  school.. 

Junior  classes,  for  all  over  fifteen  years  of  age. 
These  should,  as  far  as  possible,  sit  in  some  part  of  the 
schoolroom  by  themselves. 

Senior  classes,  for  all  over  eighteen  years  of  age. 
These  should  have  classrooms,  if  possible,  but  if  that 
be  not  feasible,  then  they  and  the  juniors  should  occupy 
some  part  of  the  room  especially  assigned  to  them. 

In  some  schools  there  could  well  be  added  a  normal 
class  for  the  training  of  those  who  intend  to  become 
teachers.  This  would  have  to  meet  by  itself,  and  could 
do  so  in  almost  any  school,  by  adjourning  to  the  church, 
or  lecture-room,  or  pastor's  study,  as  soon  as  the  devo- 
tional part  of  the  service  is  ended.  But  most  schools 
cannot  have  such  a  normal  class,  and  so  we  have  not 
said  much  about  it  in  this  brief  article. 

Every  school,  however,  will  have  to  make  its  sub- 
divisions to  suit  its  own  peculiar  wants  and  circum- 
stances, and  my  only  plea  here  is  for  careful  grading 
of  some  sort,  carried  out  after  careful  study  of  the  con- 
ditions of  the  school,  and  adhered  to  after  it  has  been 
adopted. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

A    POINT    OF    ORDER. 

AND  Now,  TO  Change  my  Theme,  let  me  speak  on 
a  subject  on  which  I  have  lately  received  a  num- 
ber of  letters,  namely,  the  matter  of  getting  and  keeping 
order  in  a  Sunday  school.  Some  people  think  that  in 
a  word  or  two  you  can  impart  to  them  a  specific  remedy 
for  disorder.  This  cannot  be  done.  The  matter  of 
order  is  one  of  detail,  like  so  many  other  things.  Much 
must  be  made  to   cooperate  in  securing  this  excellency. 

In  the  First  Place,  the  Superintendent  must 
make  up  his  mind  that  he  wants  and  will  have  order. 
Unless  he  does  this,  all  else  will  be  vain.  If  he  is  satis- 
lied  with  disorder,  he  will  have  that,  for  it  is  not  hard 
to  get.  It  will  come  of  itself.  But  if  he  is  not  content 
with  the  order  that  he  has,  he  will  seek  for  a  better, 
and  this  will  lead  him  to  "  make  an  effort."  What  is 
perfect  order?  I  call  that  perfect  order  at  the  opening 
the  school  that  permits  you  to  hear  a  fair-sized  clock  at 
the  other  end  of  the  room  tick.  Nothing  else  is  "  per- 
fect" order.  Now  the  question  is,  "How  can  this  be 
secured  ?  " 

It  Cannot  be  Secured  Unless  the  Teachers  are 

164 


A    POINT    OF    ORDER.  165 

determined  that  it  shall  he.  The  superintendent  alone 
cannot  accomplish  it.  He  must,  then,  have  a  meeting  of 
the  teachers  at  which  the  question  of  order  is  discussed, 
and  all  resolve  that  they  will  cooperate  with  their  leader 
in  securing  perfect  quiet.  When  the  teacher  force  has 
made  up  its  mind  that  it  wants  better  order,  and  will 
cooperate  in  securing  it,  half  of  the  battle  is  won.  Yet 
it  may  even  now  be  lost,  after  all.  For  it  is  one  thing 
to  resolve  to  do  a  thing  in  meeting,  and  another  to 
carry  that  resolve  out.  I  have  seen  many  a  resolution 
fail  in  its  execution. 

In  Carrying  Out  the  Resolve  that  you  want 
better  order,  the  first  thing  is  to  observe  that  resolution 
yourself.  The  teacher,  then,  who  wants  good  order 
in  his  class  must  be  early  at  school,  so  as  to  welcome 
the  first  scholar  and  keep  him  busy  in  some  way  till 
the  others  arrive  and  the  school  is  opened.  Many  a 
class,  being  in  the  school  some  time  before  the  teacher 
arrives,  gets  "going,"  and  when  the  teacher  comes  he 
finds  things  already  at  sixes  and  sevens.  To  subdue 
this  disorder  (for  which  he  himself  is  responsible)  is 
then  hard,  if  not  impossible.  Forestall  the  evil  and  it 
will  not  arise. 

In  the  Next  Place,  the  Teacher  Himself 
must  set  the  example  of  order.  Yet  I  have  seen  many 
teachers  who,  after  the  bell  has  rung,  have  kept  on 
talking  to  some  other  teacher,  "just  to  finish  what  I 
was  talking  about,"  and  all  the  time  the  superintendent 


1 66  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

was  "  waiting."  This  is  all  wrong.  The  very  moment 
that  the  bell  sounds  all  conversation,  selecting  of 
books,  and  business  of  every  kind  should  STOP  AT 
ONCE. 

For  How  Can  You  Expect  Your  Class  to  stop 
talking  if  you  don't  set  them  the  example?  Practice 
is  stronger  than  precept,  and  you  will  call  in  vain  for 
order  if  the  teachers  do  not  respond  instantly  to  the 
call. 

The  same  is  true  of  all  the  officers  in  the  school. 
The  moment  that  bell  sounds  ALL  business  should 
cease,  and  each  person  sit  down  in  the  seat  nearest  to 
them,  and  stay  there  till  the  signal  is  given  that  again 
allows  them  to  move.  Is  this  rather  strict?  Yes;  but 
without  it  you  cannot  have  perfect  order.  The  bell 
means  what?  It  means  *'pay  attention  to  the  plat- 
form." If,  then,  you  decline  to  do  this,  you  are  a  rebel 
against  order  yourself,  and  the  scholars  will  follow 
your  example.     Do  you  see  this? 

Having  Secured  the  Co  operation  of  His  Teach- 
ers, the  superintendent  must  be  sure  that  he  keeps 
order  himself.  He  must  go  to  the  platform  ALL 
READY.  Hymns  must  have  been  picked  out  before 
he  went  there,  and  all  detail  business  must  have  been 
attended  to.  When  he  goes  to  the  platform  he  does  so 
to  open  the  school,  and  he  should  attend  to  nothing 
else.  Yet  I  have  seen  superintendents  who  selected 
their    hymns    and  consulted  with  the   music  leader  or 


A    POINT    OF    ORDER.  167 

secretary  about  some  matter  of  detail,  and  that  even 
after  they  had  rung  the  bell  for  order.  Of  course  thev 
never  got  real  order,  for  they  set  an  example  of  disorder 
themselves  and  the  school  followed  it. 

In  Calling  for  Order,  M^hether  it  be  by  bell  or  by 
voice,  the  leader  should  call  only  once.  But  if  the 
school  does  not  render  obedience,  then  what?  WAIT. 
I  say,  WAIT.  And  not  call  again?  NO.  Wait  till 
the  school  comes  to  order.  How  long  should  you  wait? 
Till  the  school  obeys.  I  myself  waited  once  for  full 
five  minutes  before  the  school  obeyed.  That  seemed 
like  five  eternities.  But  at  last  it  quieted  down,  if  for 
nothing  else  than  from  curiosity  to  know  why  I  did 
not  begin.  Then  I  quietly  said,  "We  have  lost  five 
minutes.  Let  us  sing  hymn  No.  23."  The  next  time 
I  did  not  have  to  wait  for  so  long,  and  before  many 
weeks  passed    the  signal  for  order  was  heeded  at  once. 

I  was  once  in  a  large  school  in  New  York  where  the 
superintendent  had  an  electric  bell  with  which  to  call 
for  order.  The  school  was  allowed  much  liberty  before 
it  was  called  to  order,  so  that  the  scholars  had  gotten 
into  quite  a  gale  among  themselves.  When  he  wanted 
to  begin  he  gave  a  great  roll  on  the  electric  bell.  But 
the  school  paid  no  attention.  Then  he  cried  out,  "  The 
school  must  come  to  order."  But  they  paid  no  heed  to 
that,  either.  Then  came  the  r-r-r-r-r-r  of  the  bell 
again  and  renewed  efforts  with  the  voice.  I  counted 
how  many  times  he  rang  or  called.  It  amounted  to 
EIGHTEEN  times.     And  did  he  get  order?    Certainly 


1 68  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

not,  for  the  school  had  been  trained,  so  to  speak,  to 
disregard  his  signals,  and  there  was  no  more  reason 
why  they  should  pay  attention  to  the  eighteenth  rather 
than  to  the  tirst. 

Of  Course  This  Means  That  You  Must  Never 
Scold  in  order  to  get  order.  You  will  never  succeed 
in  that  way.  Keep  yourself  in  hand  and  be  quiet  and 
your  influence  will  be  felt  in  the  school  most  powerfully. 
Scolding  always  makes  the  whole  school  feel  uncom- 
fortable, and  that  is  not  the  right  way  in  which  to  begin 
your  devotional  service.  Whatever  you  do  on  the  plat- 
form, NEVER  SCOLD. 

At  times,  if  there  is  a  class  that  does  not  obey  orders, 
it  may  be  needful  to  speak  to  that  class.  But  then  it 
should  be  done  in  a  pleasant  way.     You  can  say,  with 

a  smile,  ''We  are  waiting  for  Miss 's  class."     Or, 

if  it  be  one  particular  scholar  who  is  unruly,  you  can 
say,  "  Now,  Charles,  please."  You  will  find  this  abun- 
dantly effective,  and  will  not  have  to  repeat  it  often. 
I  know  this,  for  I  have  tried  it. 

In  a  Rough  School,  Made  up  of  Unruly  Ele- 
ments, the  worst  measure  that  I  ever  was  forced  to 
adopt,  when  a  given  scholar  would  not  yield  to  treat- 
ment such  as  is  suggested  above,  I  had  to  say,  ''This 
session  of  the  school  is  suspended  till  Henry  comes  to 
order."  Then  I  sat  down  and  waited  till  he  obe3'ed. 
But  all  this  was  ver}-  quietly  done.     And  did  it  succeed? 


A    POINT    OF    ORDER.  169 

Most  certainly,  for  no  scholar  can  bear  having  the 
attention  of  the  whole  school  thus  riveted  on  him.  It 
will  break  the  stoutest  heart.  But  such  drastic  meas- 
ures are  not  often  called  for.  I  have  only  twice  been 
forced  to  use  them. 

All  This  Will  be  Vain,  However,  if,  after  you 
have  called  for  order,  you  allow  the  doors  to  be  open 
while  you  are  trying  to  get  quiet.  Yet  I  have  seen 
this  absurd  experiment  tried  in  many  schools.  It  never 
yet  succeeded.  And  why?  Simply  because  you,  your- 
self, after  calling  for  order,  invited  disorder  by  leaving 
the  doors  open  for  late-comers  to  enter  and  disturb  the 
school.  Whose  fault  is  this  but  yours?  When,  then, 
you  have  rung  your  bell  let  the  doors  be  closed,  so 
that  those  who  are  on  hand  may  not  be  disturbed  by 
those  who  want  to  come  in  late.  This  is  a  sine  qua 
noil  of  order. 

You  need  not  keep  the  doors  closed  through  all  your 
devotional  service.  Let  them  be  opened  at  proper  inter- 
vals, and  then  while  the  late-comers  go  to  their  seats 
DO  NOTHING,  but  wait  quietly.  When  order  is 
restored  go  on  with  the  business  of  the  school. 

But  I  Hear  Some  Superintendent  Say,  ''My 
teachers  W'Ould  not  stand  such  a  rule  as  that.  If  they 
were  not  allowed  to  come  in  just  as  soon  as  they  arrive 
they  w^ould  resign."  That  may  be,  if  you  do  not  con- 
sult them  and  ^et  their  consent  to  such  a  rule  before 
you   trv  to   enforce   it.      But   if   you   ha\'e   had  such    a 


170 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


teachers'  meeting  as  I  suggested  at  the  beginning  of 
this  articlfe,  and  they  have  themselves  agreed  to  the  rule, 
you  will  not  be  troubled  by  any  resignations.  They 
will  themselves  see  its  reasonableness  and  acquiesce  in 
it.  Always  get  your  teachers'  intelligent  consent  to  any 
new  regulation,  and  they  will  give  you  no  trouble ;  but 
if  you  go  ahead  and,  without  their  consent,  give  your 
commands,  they  will  very  likely  rebel,  and  you  will 
have  your  pains  for  your  gains. 

One  Thing  More.  Have  a  fixed  time  for  the 
opening  of  your  school,  and  stick  to  it  closely.  Open 
on  the  tick.  Never  mind  who  is  there  or  who  is  not. 
Open  when  the  minute  comes.  I  once  went  into  a 
school  at  two  o'clock  and  asked,  "  At  what  time  do  you 
begin?  "  The  secretary  replied,  '''About  half  past  two." 
It  proved,  as  I  had  expected  from  his  answer,  that  they 
actually  opened  at  2.45,  and  even  then  very  few  of  the 
scholars  were  on  hand.  They  were  being  trained  in 
that  school  to  be  on  hand  about  half  past  two,  and  that 
meant  about  a  quarter  to  three. 

Of  course,  there  was  no  order  in  that  school,  because 
there  was  none  about  the  superintendent.  What  else 
could  you  expect?  He  trained  the  school  not  to  punctu- 
ality, but  to  aboutness.     And  he  succeeded. 

Now,  IF  Any  Superintendent  will  heed  the  rules 
given  above,  he  will  succeed  in  getting  and  in  keeping 
order  in  his  school.  It  may  take  some  time,  especially 
if  his  predecessor  has  been  slack  in  these  matters,  but 


A    POINT    OF    ORDER.  I7I 

it  will  come  in  time,  and  both  he,  and  the  teachers,  and 
the  scholars  as  well  will  rejoice  much  in  the  result.  It 
is  a  mistake  to  think  that  scholars  enjoy  a  disorderly 
school.  They  do  not.  They  rather  despise  it,  for  it 
compares  unfavorably  with  what  is  expected  from  them 
in  their  own  public  school.  They  much  prefer  order, 
and  the  results  that  you  can  achieve  in  the  line  of 
teaching  are,  of  course,  far  in  advance  of  any  that  you 
can  reach  in  any  other  way.  Try  it,  and  you  will  bear 
this  same  witness. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

PREMIUMS    AND    REWARDS. 

AT  Every  Sunday-School  Convention,  when 
there  is  a  question-box,  some  one  asks  whether  it 
is  right  to  offer  rewards  in  Sunday  schools.  And  if 
the  reply  is  in  the  affirmative,  the  question  is  asked 
whether  in  this  way  we  do  not  bribe  the  children  to  do 
what  they  ought  to  do  without  such  motives. 

Now,  in  all  this  question  of  rewards  let  us  at  once 
get  rid  of  this  objectionable  term  of  "bribery,"  for, 
since  the  purpose  of  offering  rewards  is  to  secure  com- 
mendable action,  it  cannot  by  any  stretch  of  language 
be  rightly  called  "bribery."  We  can  only  bribe  a 
person  to  do  a  wrong  action,  never  a  right  one.  So 
let  this  term  be  laid  on  the  shelf  as  totally  inapplicable 
to  this  whole  matter. 

Yet  ,  Even  Then,  you  will  find  some  people  who 
will  contend  that  by  rewarding  a  child  for  doing  that 
which  it  is  his  duty  to  do  you  are  arousing  base 
motives,  and  in  this  way  are  really  doing  more  harm 
than  good.  They  say,  "The  child  ought  to  learn  his 
lessons  and  behave,  without  any  such  inducements." 
This  we  at  once  admit.  But  children  ought  to  do 
many  things  without  any  motive  other  than  that  of  con- 


PREMIUMS    AND    REWARDS.  173 

science,  which,  nevertheless,  they  do  not  do.  If  we 
never  put  inducements  before  children,  other  than  those 
of  stern  duty,  they  will  find  life  much  harder  than  they 
now  do,  and  we  shall  find  them  much  more  difficult  to 
manage  than  they  now  are. 

But,  as  a  Matter  of  Fact,  while  conventions 
discuss  this  question,  the  majority  of  schools  do  give 
rewards  in  some  form  or  other.  Some  confine  them  to 
Christmas  gifts.  To  say  that  these  gifts  are  not  in- 
tended as  rewards  is  not  at  all  to  the  point,  for,  what- 
ever the  teachers  intend,  the  children  universally  take 
them  as  rewards,  and,  for  this  purpose,  about  Christ- 
mas-time we  see  large  numbers  of  children  crowding 
into  our  large  mission  schools. 

Some  schools  offer  premiums  for  the  bringing  in  of 
new  scholars,  others  for  the  learning  of  lessons,  others 
for  deportment,  or  for  punctuality,  or,  lastly,  for 
written  examination  work  done  by  the  scholars.  But, 
whatever  be  the  particular  method  adopted,  it  remains 
true  that  in  a  large  majority  of  Sunday  schools  rewards 
are  made  use  of  in  one  way  or  another. 

Now,  IX  All  Our  Work,  if  we  can  find  out  on 
what  principles  God  works,  and  follow  his  example,  we 
shall  not  be  far  out  of  the  way.  In  the  Bible  we  find 
that  God  recognizes  the  principle  of  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments from  beginning  to  end.  And  not  only  in 
grace,  but  in  nature  as  well,  he  gives  to  him  that  does 
well,  and  recognizes  his  efforts  by  an  appropriate  prize. 


174  *  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

This  is  what  constitutes  the  stimulus  that  the  man  of 
science  feels,  as  he  delves  among  the  secrets  of  nature. 
This,  too,  is  what  the  believer  feels  as  he  bears  the 
burdens  of  life,  and  realizes  that  one  day  God,  who  is 
not  slow  to  remember  his  labor  of  love,  will  reward 
him.  Even  our  blessed  Master  himself  was  obedient, 
he  having  regard  unto  the  recompense  of  the  reward. 
And  our  blessed  Lord  was,  in  some  measure,  influenced 
by  this  same  desire  for  reward,  for  of  him  we  read : 
'*Who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him,  endured 
the  cross,    despising  the  shame  "   (Heb.  12  :   2). 

But  in  All  This  Matter  of  Divine  Prize  Giv- 
ing, note  the  principle  on  which  God  works.  He  does 
not  give  his  best  gifts  to  ONE  person,  leaving  all  the 
rest  to  go  without  any  prize,  or,  at  the  best,  with  a 
second  and  third  prize.  This  is  the  way  in  which  many 
schools  act,  and,  as  a  consequence,  do  more  harm  than 
good.  This  is  the  way  in  which  the  writer  began  in  his 
own  school.  But  it  is  not  God's  way.  God  sets  up  a 
reasonable  standard,  and  then  all  who  attain  that 
standard  receive  the  same  recognition.  This,  then,  is 
the  true  principle  on  which  to  work  in  the  matter  oi 
Sunday-school  rewards.  Place  your  standard,  and 
make  it  one  that  is  reasonable.  Then  give  to  any 
scholar  who  attains  that  standard  the  same  prize. 

This  Will  Not  Prevent  your  having  as  many 
grades  of  excellence  as  you  think  best,  as,  for  example, 
for  the  Primary,  the  Intermediate,  and  the  Senior  De- 


PREMIUMS    AND    REWARDS.  175 

partments  of  the  school.  But  it  will  involve  the  giving 
of  a  similar  reward  to  all  who  attain  to  any  given 
standard.  It  will  also  at  once  prevent  that  jealousy 
that  so  often  arises  when  a  single  prize  is  offered,  and 
one  of  two  scholars,  of  nearly  equal  ability,  carries  it 
off,  and  leaves  the  other  with  very  inadequate  recogni- 
tion of  his  efforts.  I  have  seen  more  harm  than  good 
arise  from  such  a  procedure,  followed  by  a  refusal  even 
to  try  again  the  next  year. 

Even  Under  These  Safeguards  we  shall  find 
that  some  wrong  is  unintentionally  done  at  times.  Nor 
can  we  ever  exactly  suit  the  reward  to  the  merit  of  the 
scholar,  as  God  does  in  his  government  of  this  world. 
For  one  scholar  of  dull  apprehension  may,  in  reality, 
deserve  a  larger  reward  for  the  same  results  than 
another  of  quick  wits.  But  this  should  not  prevent  us 
from  trying,  so  far  as  possible,  to  approximate  to  God's 
way  of  rewarding  our  scholars.  All  things  human  are 
imperfect,  but  still  we  strive  to  reach  as  great  a  degree 
of  perfection  as  we  can,  and  do  not  on  that  account 
give  up  the  attempt. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

ENTERTAINMENTS . 

THE  Sunday  School  is  a  Complex  Organiza- 
tion. —  In  order  to  have  a  perfect  school,  there 
are  many  details  which  have  to  be  regulated  and  wisely 
cared  for.  Not  only  do  we  aim  to  reach  the  scholars' 
souls  so  that  they  may  become  followers  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  but  we  also  try  to  educate  their  minds  so  that 
they  may  have  a  competent  understanding  of  the  word 
of  God,  and  of  all  that  bears  upon  it.  But  our  scholars 
have  other  instincts  besides  these,  and  Sunday-school 
workers  have  long  recognized  that  there  is  a  legitimate 
effort  in  their  work  for  entertainments. 

In  This  Chapter,  Therefore,  I  shall  speak  about 
various  kinds  of  Sunday-school  entertainments  which 
are  in  vogue,  some  of  them  helpful,  and  some  not. 
With  regard  to  this  matter,  it  is  perfectly  possible  to 
make  use  of  a  certain  class  of  entertainments  in  a  way 
to  help  the  work  of  the  school.  It  is  also  possible  to 
use  the  same  thing  in  such  way  as  shall  hinder,  and  not 
help. 

Experience  is  our  best  guide  along  these  lines.  By 
experience  I  do  not  mean  our  own  experience  only,  but 
the  experience  of  other  workers  who  have  tried  experi- 

176 


ENTERTAINMENTS. 


177 


ments,  and  have  tested  their  character.  He  is  truly 
wise  who  learns  from  others  and  profits  by  their  mis- 
takes, for  in  that  way  he  prevents  himself  from  doing 
many  things  which  are  unfitting.  He  who  must  learn 
everything  by  his  own  bitter  experience  pays  dear  for 
his  education. 

Nearly  Every  Sunday  School  in  the  Land  has 
some  kind  of  Christmas  entertainment.  Many  of  these 
are  exceedingly  helpful.  At  the  same  time,  I  am 
obliged  to  say  that  many  of  them  have  more  of  "  tom- 
foolery "  than  of  spirituality  about  them .  I  speak  here 
from  somewhat  wide  experience,  having  learned  much 
by  bitter  mistakes  which  I  myself  have  made.  There 
are,  I  suppose,  many  hundreds  of  Sunday  schools  who 
have  "  Santa  Claus  "  appear  at  their  anniversary. 

Generally  there  is  a  good  deal  of  buffoonery  concern- 
ing his  advent.  He  comes  out  clad  in  grotesque  cos- 
tume, gets  off  many  jokes  and  foolish  remarks.  The 
thoughts  of  the  children  are  entirely  drawn  away  from 
the  Christ-child  to  this  semi-heathen  individual.  At  a 
time  when  we  should  be  thinking  of  God's  love  as  mani- 
fested in  the  birth  of  the  babe  at  Bethlehem  our  atten- 
tion is  entirely  taken  ud  with  things  foreign  to  this 
blessed  event. 

There  are  Many  Evils  Connected  with  Such 
AN  Abuse  at  Christmastide.  Among  other  things  is 
the  fact  that  we  in  some  measure  deceive  the  younger 
children,  to  whom  everything  is  "  real."     A  little  child, 


iy8  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

lying  on  its  deathbed,  who  had  thus  been  deceived  in 
various  wa3^s,  and  then,  as  the  years  went  by,  unde- 
ceived, asked  its  mother  the  question,  "Mother,  is 
Jesus  real?''  What  business  have  we,  as  Sunday- 
school  workers,  thus  to  represent  things  in  such  light 
that  our  little  ones  are  deceived  ? 

It  Seems  to  Me  That  on  Christmas  Day 
nothing  should  be  presented  to  the  school  but  what  per- 
tains strictly  to  this  anniversary.  There  is  enough 
about  the  life  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  from  the  cradle  to  the 
grave,  to  keep  the  attention  of  our  scholars  most  help- 
fully. For  example,  Christmas  exercises  might  be 
gotten  up  with  responsive  readings  from  the  account  in 
Matthew  and  Luke.  These,  interspersed  with  appropri- 
ate hymns,  and  followed  by  one  or  two  pertinent  and 
brief  addresses,  will  be  quite  sufficient  to  entertain  and 
instruct  the  school.  If,  in  addition  to  this,  the  Christ- 
mas tree  be  decorated  and  presents  be  distributed,  the 
scholars  will  be  contented  and  happy. 

In  Some  Schools  They  Prepare  Very  Elabo- 
rate Dialogues,  which  are  delivered  in  costume. 
Now,  I  do  not  deny  that  these  are  attractive,  but  I  very 
much  fear  they  are  not  profitable.  Oftentimes  they 
have  no  reference  at  all  to  the  event  which  gathers 
the  school  together,  and  then  they  are  certainly 
more  than  worthless.  All  that  comes  onto  the  platform 
at  this  season  should  bear  directly  on  the  event  which 
took  place  in  Bethlehem  nineteen  hundred  years  ago. 


entertainments.  i79 

One  of  the  Evils  of  These  Elaborate  Enter- 
tainments is  found  in  the  fact  that  they  demand  much 
time  in  preparatory  rehearsals.  I  have  known  schools 
whose  regular  session  was  practically  taken  up  for 
weeks  before  Christmas  with  the  music,  the  declama- 
tions, the  dialogues  that  were  to  be  presented  on  that 
night.  During  these  weeks  but  little  attention  is  paid  to 
the  lesson,  and  this  in  itself  is  a  great  evil. 

Moreover,  Jealousies  and  Unseemly  Rival- 
ries ARE  Awakened. — Scholars  who  receive  promi- 
nent parts  are  proud,  others  angry ;  thus  a  spirit  is 
cherished  entirely  alien  from  that  which  should  be 
cultivated  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

In  a  Great  Many  Sunday  Schools  the  Sunday- 
school  concert  occupies  a  very  prominent  place  in  the 
activities  of  the  scholars.  Some  have  them  every 
month,  and  the  time  generally  is  Sunday  evening. 
These  Sunday-school  concerts  may  be  made  an  occa- 
sion of  very  great  advantage,  not  to  the  school  only, 
but  to  all  its  friends.  The  various  publishing  houses 
have  spent  much  time  and  given  much  thought  to  the 
preparation  of  the  printed  programs  for  such  entertain- 
ments. 

Here,  too,  however,  we  must  guard  ourselves  against 
the  theatrical  and  the  exaggerated.  Simplicity  is  to 
be  sought,  for  in  simplicity  there  is  very  great  power. 
The  theme  around  which  the  concert  circles  should  be 
a  scriptural   one,  and  every  effort  should  be   made  to 


l8o  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

leave  a  strong  religious  impression  on  all  who  have 
been  present.  City  Sunday  schools  make  but  little  use 
of  these  Sunday  school  concert  exercises,  but  it  is  not 
for  them  alone  I  write,  and,  therefore,  I  try  in  some 
measure  to  meet  the  wants  of  all  engaged  in  Sunday 
school  work. 

Every  Sunday  School  That  Is  Well  Conducted 
makes  use  of  '*  sociables."  There  is  no  way  in  which  we 
can  get  as  well  acquainted  with  each  other  as  we  can  on 
these  festive  occasions.  In  large  Sunday  schools,  it 
often  happens  the  teachers  hardly  know  each  other. 
They  come  from  different  homes,  from  different  parts 
of  the  city,  and  excepting  at  the  Sunday  school  and 
church  services,  many  of  them  never  meet  face  to  face. 
This  is  an  evil  which  can  be,  in  some  measure,  at  least, 
remedied  by  these  sociables. 

In  Such  Socials  As  These,  care  should  be  taken 
that  the  younger  element  does  not  run  into  too  much 
frivolity.  Give  the  young  people  latitude,  but  see  that 
their  liberty  does  not  run  into  license.  Throughout  all 
these  sociables  there  should  run  an  earnest  Christian 
spirit,  such  as  it  behooves  those  to  cultivate  who  are 
working  for  their  scholars'  eternal  welfare.  Piety  is 
perfectly  consonant  with  cheerfulness,  but  piety  and 
folly  never  went  well  together.  There  is  a  laughter 
which  is  whole-souled  and  wholesome,  and  there  is  a 
laughter  like  that  of  fools,  which  is  like  '*  the  crack- 
ling of  thorns  under  a  pot." 


ENTERTAINMENTS.  l8l 

If  Once  In  a  Quarter,  Sav,  the  teachers  come 
together,  and,  after  short  devotional  services,  have  some 
slight  refreshment,  and  then  give  over  the  rest  of  the 
evening  to  social  intercourse,  they  will  find  the  influence 
extremely  helpful  in  their  work.  The  timid  teacher 
will  find  strength  in  the  added  acquaintance  which 
comes  to  him  at  these  times.  A  sense  of  sympathy  is 
aroused,  and  the  teachers  feel  that  thev  are  part  of  one 
little  army  which  is  banded  together  to  fight  for  the  wel- 
fare of  their  scholars. 

The  teachers  here  will  exchange  their  experiences 
and  many  a  discouraged  one  will  pluck  up  heart  again 
as  she  finds  she  is  not  alone  in  her  trials  and  burdens. 
It  is  sometimes  well  to  have  some  outsiders  present  to 
make  an  address  to  the  teachers  on  a  theme  germane  to 
their  work.  New  light  is  thrown  on  the  work  in  this 
way,  and  fresh  information  gathered,  which  redounds 
to  the  welfare  of  the  school. 

In  Addition  to  Teachers'  Sociables,  it  is  well 
sometimes  to  have  sociables  with  the  scholars.  In  very 
large  schools  it  is  impossible  to  have  the  whole  school 
together  at  these  times.  A  sociable  for  a  thousand 
scholars,  for  instance,  would  be  an  impossibility.  In 
such  cases  it  may  be  well  for  teachers  of  two  or  three 
classes  to  combine,  and  using  the  church  parlors,  have 
an  entertainment  for  their  scholars.  In  all  large  schools 
there  are  single  Bible  classes  of  thirty  to  fifty  members, 
and  these  may  well  have  sociables  by  themselves.  If 
the  class  be  a  young  men's   Bible   class,  each   member 


l82  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

may  be  allowed  to  invite  one  lady  friend.  In  nearly  all 
such  cases,  the  expense  of  the  sociable  can  be  borne  by 
the  class  itself.  In  the  case  of  the  younger  classes, 
other  provisions  will  have  to  be  made. 

If  There  Be  No  Church  Parlors  that  can  be 
used  for  this  purpose,  it  may  be  that  teachers  will  invite 
scholars  to  their  own  homes.  Indeed,  a  social  under 
your  own  roof  has  something  more  of  hospitality  in  it 
than  one  held  in  church  parlors,  be  they  ever  so  finely 
decorated. 

In  Small  Schools,  However,  of  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  members,  it  may  be  well  once  in 
awhile  to  hold  a  sociable  for  the  whole  school.  Then, 
doubtless,  the  lecture  room  of  the  church  would  be  the 
proper  place  to  use.  For  an  entertainment  like  this,  it 
is  generally  necessary  to  appoint  an  "  Entertainment 
Committee."  A  kindly  watch  will  have  to  be  kept  over 
this  committee,  lest  they,  too,  adopt  games,  dialogues, 
or  charades  which  are  not  helpful.  There  will  be  no 
difficulty,  however,  in  this  matter,  providing  the  over- 
sight be  kindly  and  sympathetic,  as  well  as  judicious. 

This  Brings  up  the  Matter  of  Friction,  which 
often  arises  between  the  older  and  younger  members  of 
a  school.  The  older  teachers  are  apt  to  be  conservative, 
perhaps  too  much  so.  The  younger  are  sure  to  be 
radical.  When  opinions  differ  as  to  the  character  cf 
any  entertainment,  discord  arises  and  there  is  apt  to  be 


ENTERTAINMENTS.  183 

trouble.  Let  the  older  ones  remember  that  they,  too, 
were  once  young.  A  sanctified  use  of  memory  to 
recall  how  you  felt  when  you  were  eighteen  or  twenty 
years  old  will  help  matters  very  much.  Let  the  dis- 
cussion concerning  this  disputed  question  be  kindly  and 
gentle. 

Results  will  thus  be  reached  that  will  be  in  some  meas- 
ure satisfactory  to  all.  If  angry  w^ords  and  vituperation 
be  indulged  in,  more  harm  will  be  done  than  can  be 
remedied  by  a  half  year  of  earnest  work.  What  Satan 
most  loves  is  to  see  a  Sunday  school  fighting  with  itself. 

Parent's  Sociables  are  Often  Very  Helpful. — 
This  is  especially  true  in  those  Sunday  schools  which 
reach  the  working  classes  in  great  cities.  Parents  who 
never  come  to  church  and  who  never  see  the  inside  of  a 
Sunday  school  will  come  to  an  entertainment  given  in 
their  honor.  Here  they  are  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
workers  ;  they  realize  the  kindly  sympathy  which  exists 
for  them  and  their  children.  Their  prejudices  are 
allayed,  and  their  affection  and  interest  awakened. 
Many  a  parent  has  thus  been  brought  into  the  house  of 
God  for  the  first  time  who  has  come  and  come  again, 
until  at  last  divine  truth  has  savingly  laid  hold  of  the 
heart.  We  must  be  all  things  to  all  men,  so  long  as 
we  do  nothing  sinful,  and  attract  them  by  every  means 
in  our  power  to  that  place  where  hallowed  influences 
predominate. 

Of  Course  in  all  this  the  financial  question  will 


184  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

soon  come  to  the  front.  Some  Sunday  schools  have  an 
abundance  of  money,  and  this  question  never  troubles 
them.  Others  find  themselves  exactly  in  the  opposite 
position.  It  is  impossible  to  say  what  is  the  best  means 
for  raising  money  in  all  schools.  Sometimes  the  church 
officers  may  be  willing  to  give  something  from  the 
treasury  of  the  church.  At  other  times  the  teachers 
take  up  a  collection  among  themselves  to  defray  neces- 
sary expenses.  However  this  may  be,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  spend  large  sums  of  money  for  these  entertainments. 
Ice-cream  and  cake,  or  lemonade  and  cake,  or  (in 
season)  strawberries  and  cream  are  sufficient  for  the 
purpose  in  view.  It  is  not  so  much  what  we  eat  at  the 
time  as  it  is  the  general  spirit  with  which  we  welcome 
our  guests  that  wins  their  hearts. 

Most  Sunday  Schools  in  the  City  aim  to  have  a 
picnic  at  leiast  once  in  the  year.  Sometime  a  barge  is 
hired  for  an  excursion  on  the  nearest  lake  or  river.  At 
other  times  a  railroad  train  is  chartered,  which  conveys 
the  Sunday  school  to  the  appointed  grove.  The  matters 
of  detail  are  such  as  must  be  settled  by  each  school  in 
accordance  with  its  surroundings. 

The  main  point  is  to  get  the  children  as  completely 
as  possible  into  the  country.  As  there  are  large  ex- 
penses connected  with  some  of  these  picnics,  the 
financial  problem  again  comes  to  the  front.  To  meet 
the  necessary  outlay,  a  great  many  schools  sell  tickets 
to  any  who  are  willing  to  buy.  This  is  an  evil.  Our 
own    experience  is   that,  unless   the   sale  of   tickets  be 


ENTERTAINMENTS.  185 

carefully  restricted,  parties   are   sure  to  purchase  them 
who  make  very  undesirable  associates. 

The  further  result  will  be  that  rude  conduct  annoys 
and  disturbs  the  quieter  element  of  the  Sunday  school. 
Tickets  should  be  sold  only  to  the  members  of  the  Sun- 
day school  and  church,  and  to  their  immediate  friends, 
so  that  all  find  themselves  in  the  midst  of  congenial, 
social  companions. 

If  Competitive  Games  are  Arranged  for,  they 
should  be  in  charge  of  a  committee,  who  should  wisely 
regulate  the  admission  of  those  who  are  to  take  part. 
I  have  known  delicate  girls  in  the  city,  who  have  stood 
behind  a  counter  for  six  days  in  a  week,  and  have  never 
taken  much  exercise,  to  be  seriously  injured  by  entering 
for  a  half-mile  race.  These  girls  did  not  understand 
the  strain  on  the  physical  system  involved  in  such 
running. 

The  result  is  that  they  were  totally  exhausted  and 
suffered  for  days  the  consequences  of  their  rashness.  I 
have  known  young  men  from  the  city,  whose  occupa- 
tions have  been  indoors,  to  be  sunstruck  through  their 
carelessness  in  exposing  themselves  to  a  July  sun. 
Care  should  be  taken,  therefore,  in  all  these  matters, 
that  the  outing  of  the  picnic  be  a  real  help,  and  not  a 
serious  hindrance  to  those  under  our  charge. 

The  Matter  of  Dancing  at  these  Picnics  is 
almost  always  sure  to  come  up.  If  care  be  not  taken, 
it  will  be  the  cause  of  bitter  feelings  and  needless  strife. 


l86  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

I  do  not  know  how  others  feel  in  this  matter,  but  it 
seems  to  me  there  are  amusements  enough  open  to  our 
young  people,  without  their  engaging  in  promiscuous 
dancing.  We  have  never  found  it  necessary  in  our 
school  to  yield  to  this  pressure,  which  generally  comes 
from  the  most  worldly  portion  of  the  scholars.  We 
have  always  been  rather  strict  in  the  amount  of  liberty 
which  we  gave  to  the  scholars. 

Great  is  Common  Sense,  sanctified  by  Christian 
experience,  in  all  this  matter  of  Sunday  school  enter- 
tainments, and  it  must  be  steadfastly  applied.  The 
leaders  should  be  truly  leaders,  and  not  allow  them- 
selves to  be  carried  away  by  the  blatant  voices  of  those 
who  are  crying  for  greater  liberty. 

If  Our  Hearts  are  in  True  Sympathy  with  the 
young,  they  will  quickly  enough  understand  our  motives, 
and  if  we  ever  err  on  the  side  of  over-strictness,  they 
will  be  willing  to  forgive,  because  they  realize  that  we 
are  working  for  their  advantage.  If  our  aim  is  truly 
religious  in  all  we  do,  it  will  show  itself,  whether  in  the 
teaching  of  the  lesson,  the  Christmas  entertainment,  the 
sociable,  or  picnic.  In  all  these  things,  we  must  make 
it  clear  that  we  are  seeking  first  the  kingdom  of  God. 
If  this  be  so  all  else  will  go  well. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE     LIBRARY. 

THE  Library  is  a  Valuable  Adjunct  to  every 
Sunday  school.  Not  every  family  has  the  means 
to  procure  a  sufficient  supply  of  reading  matter  for 
its  members.  Books  are  soon  read  through,  and  to 
keep  an  active  boy  or  girl  in  reading  matter,  year  in 
and  year  out,  is  no  easy  thing.  Then,  not  all  who  have 
the  means  have  the  desire  to  meet  the  legitimate  wants 
of  the  young  people,  or,  if  they  have  the  desire,  they 
have  not  always  the  requisite  discretion  to  furnish  good 
books.  As  a  result,  our  young  people  often  get  hold  of 
books  that  do  far  more  harm  than  good. 

From  This  State  of  Affairs  the  Sunday  school 
library  has  had  its  origin.  The  aim  has  been  to  supply 
healthful  reading  matter  to  the  scholars,  and  thus  supple- 
ment the  teaching  of  the  lesson.  At  first  only  books  of 
a  distinctly  religious  character  were  admitted  to  the 
libraries  of  our  schools.  The  thought  was  to  provide 
'*  Sunday  reading,"  so  as  to  make  the  Sabbath  day  not 
only  a  delight,  but  profitable  as  well.  I  remember 
the  time  when  books  like  ' '  The  Life  of  Henry  Martyn  " 
and  *'  The  Memoirs  of  Nathan  Dickerman"  formed  the 
main  part  of    a  proper  Sunday  school   library.      How 

187 


l88  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

much  the  children  read  these  books  it  is  not  possible  to 
say,  but  if  I  may  judge  from  my  own  experience,  they 
were  not  very  eagerly  devoured. 

In  Time,  However,  the  demand  for  more  interest- 
ing reading  brought  the  supply,  and  we  began  to  be 
flooded  with  the  "  religious  novel."  At  once  the  cry 
was  raised  that  we  were  cultivating  in  the  scholars  a 
taste  for  '*  novels,"  and  that  in  this  way  more  harm  was 
being  done  than  good.  The  quality  of  this  literature 
was  also  impugned,  and  we  heard  that  the  Sunday 
school  literature  was  "goody-goody"  and  filled  with 
**  wish-wash." 

That  there  were  unwholesome  books  published  by 
some  firms  is  undoubtedly  true,  but  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  current  Sunday  school  books  will  convince 
any  candid  person  that,  on  the  whole,  the  charge  has 
but  little  foundation  on  which  to  rest.  /;/  the  main,  the 
books  issued  by  the  denominational  houses  are  good  of 
their  kind  and  of  a  good  kind.  Their  influence  is 
wholesome,  and  far  better  than  that  of  much  that  is 
published  by  the  ordinary  secular  business  house. 

Of  Course  Sunday  School  Libraries  had  not 
long  been  in  existence  before  the  question  arose,  *'  What 
kind  of  books  ought  to  go  into  a  Sunda}^  school 
library  ?  "  There  are  those  who  would  totally  exclude 
the  "  religious  novel"  and  all  secular  works  and  stick 
to  those  of  a  purely  religious  character.  They  claimed 
that   the    province  of  the   Sundeiy  school    was  only  to 


THE    LIBRARY.  189 

furnish  Sunday  reading,  and  that  it  had  no  business  to 
give  out  secular  books  on  the  Lord's  Day.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  were  not  lacking  those  who  felt  that 
the  **  religious  novel"  had  a  legitimate  place  among  the 
books  of  a  Sunday  school,  provided  the  moral  that  it 
taught  was  pure  and  wholesome,  and  that  it  was  far 
better  that  the  scholars  should  read  books  of  that  class 
than  those  that  they  would  naturally  get  elsewhere. 

Of  Course,  in  a  Question  of  This  Nature,  it 
was  *'  many  men  of  many  minds,"  and  there  was  much 
diversity  of  opinion.  Critics  sometimes  failed  to  recog- 
nize that  what  might  be  good  for  a  "  church  school,"  in 
which  the  scholars  had  an  abundance  of  reading  matter 
in  their  own  homes,  would  not  be  sufficient  for  a 
"  mission  school,"  in  which  the  scholars  had  almost  no 
reading  matter  in  their  own  homes.  They  did  not  seem 
to  realize  that  the  difference  between  the  Sunday  school 
of  the  "  Old  South  Church  "  and  a  mission  in  the  North 
End  was  world  wide,  and  that  what  would  suit  one 
would  be  only  ridiculous  for  the  other. 

In  this  way  many  grievous  mistakes  were  made.  I 
remember  well  looking  into  a  mission  library  at  one 
time  to  see  why  the  books  were  never  taken  out.  The 
first  volume  that  I  took  from  the  shelves  was  "  Charnock 
on  the  Divine  Attributes,"  and  the  second  was  "  Edwards 
on  the  Will."  Then  I  understood  why  the  scholars 
never  called  for  any  books.  I  doubt  whether  a  class 
made  up  of  Presbyterian  elders  would  have  found  much 
use  for  a  library  of  that  kind. 


190  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

If,  Now,  Any  One  Expects  Me  to  lay  down  a 
rule  by  which  this  much  discussed  question  shall  be 
settled,  they  will  find  themselves  mistaken.  Within  the 
limits  of  a  chapter  like  this,  such  a  thing  is  not  possible. 
One  thing  only  I  will  say,  and  that  is  this  :  I  feel  that 
it  is  a  mistake  to  confine  the  selection  of  books  to  those 
of  a  purely  religious  character. 

Good  secular  books  should  also  be  admitted,  espe- 
cially in  those  schools  where  the  home  does  not  furnish 
the  pupil  with  reading  matter.  Then  some  distinction 
should  be  made  between  books  that  are  recommended 
for  Sunday  reading  and  those  that  are  intended  for 
week-day  perusal.  This  is  not  a  difficult  thing  to  do.  In 
this  way  all  the  wants  of  the  scholars  can  be  well  met. 

Every  Good  Library  should  have  a  good  catalogue. 
This  is  a  sine  qua  non.  The  question  of  the  cost  often 
prevents  smaller  schools  from  having  this  requisite. 
But  there  is  often  in  the  church  a  boy  who  has  a  small 
printer's  outfit,  who  for  the  love  of  the  cause  will  print 
a  small  catalogue,  covering  a  library  of  one  or  two  hun- 
dred volumes.  If  you  are  not  fortunate  enough  to  have 
such  a  boy,  you  should  nevertheless  aim  to  secure  the 
needful  funds  and  prepare  such  a  catalogue,  for  without 
it  the  scholars  will  not  know  what  books  there  are  on 
your  shelves.  Such  catalogue  should  be  arranged  by 
topics,  such  as  "History,"  *' Biography,"  **  Travel," 
*'  Missions,"  ''  Fiction,"  etc. 

There  Are  Plenty  of  Good  Sunday  School 


THE    LIBRARY. 


191 


Books  ;  and  if  you  only  are  ready  to  spend  the  time 
and  thought,  you  can  procure  them  for  your  Hbrary. 
Let  me,  then,  give  some  simple  rules,  and  promise  that  if 
you  will  rigidly  adhere  to  them  the  result  will  be  a  good 
library. 

1.  Do  not  buy  more  than  ten,  or,  at  the  most,  twenty, 
books  at  a  time.  This  will  effectually  prevent  the  pass- 
ing of  books  by  wholesale.  There  will  thus  be  time 
for  the  proper  persons  to  read  and  approve  or  reject 
intelligently.      For  this  have 

2.  A  Permanent  Library  Committee, —  Five  are 
enough.  Choose  this  committee  carefully.  Have  some 
mothers  on  it.  An  older  sister  will  do  no  harm.  Let 
this  committee  watch  the  Sunday  school  papers  and 
gain  what  help  from  their  reviews  they  can. 

3.  Have  a  Pei'manent  Library  Fund. —  Five  dollars 
a  month  is  enough  to  provide  any  school  with  sixty 
volumes  a  year.  Where  shall  this  five  dollars  be  raised 
from  ?  From  the  church,  if  possible.  If  that  is  not 
possible,  then  by  private  subscription.  Ten  people  who 
give  fifty  cents  a  month  will  do  it.  To  get  ten  such 
people  will  cost  work,  you  say.  Well,  what  if  it  does  ? 
You  can  never  have  any  good  thing  without  work. 

4.  Duplicate  Very  Pofular  Books. —  This  will 
enable  the  scholars  to  get  the  book  they  want  without 
having  their  patience  exhausted  before  their  turn  comes. 
After  the  rage  of  novelty  is  over,  keep  only  one  copy 
on  hand. 

5.  Always  Replace  Standard  Books. —  Your  scholars 
change  rapidly.      A  book  like  "  Irish  Amy,"  or  "  Silver 


192 


WAYS    OP^    WORKING. 


Rifle,"  or  "  Giant  Killer  "  ought  always  to  be  in  a  good 
library. 

6.  Have  a  Graded  Catalogue . —  Do  not  give  young 
and  ignorant  scholars  a  chance  to  get  books  that  are  not 
suited  to  their  intellectual  capacity.  Now,  of  course, 
all  this  means  care  and  work.  But  the  result  will  be 
such  that  you  will  find  that  your  library  is  a  real  help  to 
you  in  all  your  work  with  your  scholars.  A  poor  library 
is  worse  than  none,  for  it  only  serves  to  irritate,  and  so 
does  harm.  But  a  good  set  of  books  on  your  shelves 
will  draw  many  a  scholar  to  your  school  and  help  to 
keep  him  there.  And  is  not  that  one  of  the  things  that 
we  are  all  aiming  at  ? 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE    LIBRARIAN. 

IN  MY  last  chapter  I  gave  some  suggestions  with 
regard  to  the  matter  of  the  library.  If  a  good 
library  were  all  that  is  needed  in  this  department  of 
Sunday  school  work,  I  might  pause  here  and  say  noth- 
ing more.  But  a  good  library  will  noi  run  itself.  If 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  poor  librarian,  those  who 
'*know"  will  get  much  good  from  it.  But  those  who 
are  ignorant  of  books  will  get  but  little  good  from  its 
use.  It  is  better  to  have  a  rather  poor  library  and  a 
good  librarian  than  a  good  library  and  a  poor  librarian. 

Yet  Many  Schools  act  as  though  the  matter  of 
librarian  were  one  of  little  consequence.  Some  young 
man  or  woman  is  chosen  whose  qualifications  may  be 
very  inadequate,  for  "it  is  only  the  library."  The 
result  often  is  that  the  library  is  badly  served  and  the 
school  gets  but  little  out  of  it.  Such  schools  seem  to 
think  that  the  whole  duty  of  the  librarian  begins  and 
ends  with  the  giving  out  and  receiving  of  the  books, 
and,  since  that  is  a  task  that  does  not  call  for  any  par- 
ticular talent,  any  one  can  do  it.  Such  a  "  haphazard  " 
selection  of  this  important  officer  is  sure  to  be  followed 
by  "  haphazard"  results. 

193 


194  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

What  Are  Some  of  the  Qualifications  of  a 
good  librarian?     They  are  not  difficult  to  enumerate. 

(a)  The  librarian  must  love  books.  To  put  into  this 
office  a  young  and  careless  boy  or  a  giddy  girl  is  to  do 
much  damage.  There  is  a  great  difference  in  this 
respect  among  people.  Some  young  men  take  naturally 
to  books  and  really  love  them.  Others  care  but  little 
for  them,  and  read  only  those  books  that  are  popular 
and  highly  spiced.  But  how  can  a  man  serve  others 
well  in  the  library  unless  he  loves  his  work  specifically? 
He  will  work  in  a  perfunctory  manner,  and  might  as 
well  be  replaced  by  a  machine  if  such  an  one  could  be 
invented  for  the  work. 

(<5)  He  must  love  ^eo fie.  There  are  men  who  love 
books,  but  not  people.  Such  are  bookworms.  But 
they  make  wretched  librarians.  They  feel  bored  by 
people  who  come  and  ask  foolish  questions  or  make 
trouble  by  their  indecision  in  the  matter  of  choosing 
books.  No  such  person  is  a  good  one  to  put  in  charge 
of  the  library.  He  who  takes  that  office  should  love  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  men,  so  that  he  can  be  helpful 
to  those  who  are  ignorant  and  out  of  the  way. 

He  must  be  anxious  to  help  the  most  illiterate,  so 
that  all  such  may  look  to  him  for  help  and  guidance  in 
the  matter  of  choosing  books.  The  love  of  good  books 
and  the  love  of  people  will  result  in  the  librarian's  try- 
ing to  introduce  the  one  to  the  other  in  the  most  attrac- 
tive way.  This  will,  of  course,  increase  the  circulation 
of  the  library,  and  make  it  a  power  for  good  in  the 
Sunday  school  to  which  it  is  attached. 


THE    LIBRARIAN.  I95 

(c)  He  must  have  an  exalted  idea  of  the  work  to 
which  he  is  called.  If  he  thinks  that  the  library  is  one 
of  the  subordinate  places  in  the  whole  round  of  Sunday 
school  work  he  will  not  do  good  service  there.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  he  feels  that  the  work  that  can  be 
accomplished  by  a  good  book  is  second  to  that  of  no 
other  instrumentality  he  wdll  enter  upon  his  work  with 
some  enthusiasm,  and  will  exalt  his  calling.  He  will 
feel  that  if  he  is  instrumental  in  getting  a  boy  to  read 
a  good  book  the  influence  of  that  book  may  govern  that 
boy's  career  in  all  future  years. 

Of  course,  if  the  librarian  has  such  ideals  as  this  he 
will  strive  to  get  all  the  boys  and  girls  to  read  that,  and 
that  only,  which  can  have  a  wholesome  influence  on 
their  lives.  In  this  way  he  will  be  a  power  for  good 
every  day  in  the  week. 

These  are  Three  of  the  Chief  characteristics 
of  a  good  librarian.  Of  course  he  will  have  other 
excellencies,  such  as  promptitude,  a  kindly  courtesy, 
indefatigable  industry,  spotless  neatness,  and  the  like. 
If,  however,  he  have  the  first  three  graces  spoken  of,  it 
is  most  likely  that  he  will  also  have  the  others,  for  he 
who  has  the  higher  virtues  is  not  probably  without  the 
lower. 

Such  a  Librarian  as  We  Have  Suggested 
Above  will  find  out  what  the  people  want.  If  books 
that  he  has  on  his  shelves,  placed  there  by  his  predeces- 
sors, do  not  "  go,"  he  will  try  and  find  out  the  reason. 


ig6  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

He  will  probably  discover  that  they  are  not  suited  to 
the  wants  of  those  to  whom  the  library  is  supposed  to 
minister. 

Now,  instead  of  finding  fault  with  the  people,  he  will 
find  fault  with  the  books,  and  make  up  his  mind  that 
they  are  not  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  community  in 
which  the  school  is  placed.  He  will  realize  that  there 
is  no  more  use  in  finding  fault  with  people  for  not  taking 
books  that  they  do  not  like  than  in  finding  fault  with  a 
horse  for  not  drinking  when  he  is  not  thirsty.  Neither 
will  scolding  help  in  the  one  case  more  than  in  the 
other. 

How  Can  the  Librarian  Find  Out  what  the 
people  want?  By  asking.  He  can  prepare  blanks, 
and  ask  the  people  to  write  on  these  the  names  of  such 
books  as  they  would  like  to  have  placed  in  the  library. 
Now,  as  soon  as  such  a  suggestion  is  made,  I  fancy 
that  I  hear  some  one  exclaim,  "Oh,  that  would  never 
do,  for  they  would  ask  for  bad  books  !  " 

First,  how  do  you  know  that?  And,  second,  if  they 
should,  you  are  not  obliged  to  put  them  on  the  shelves 
simply  because  they  have  been  asked  for.  But,  third, 
you  will  not  find  that  this  is  the  case.  People  will  ask 
for  such  books  as  they  want,  and,  as  a  rule,  you  will 
find  that  they  are  good  books,  and  will  do  less  harm 
than  some,  perhaps,  that  are  now  on  your  shelves. 

Supposing  That,  as  a  Result  of  the  issue  of  such 
blanks  as  are  suggested  above,  the  people  return  a  list 


THE    LIBRARIAN. 


197 


of  books  that  petrifies  the  hbrarian.  That  he  finds  that 
many  of  the  standard  works  of  biography  and  of  mis- 
sions are  not  so  much  as  mentioned. 

Suppose  that  the  most  of  the  appHcations  for  new- 
books  show  that  reHgious  fiction  is  all  the  people  care 
for.  What  then?  Shall  he  give  up  in  despair,  and 
make  up  his  mind  that  the  people  are  hopelessly  wedded 
to  light  literature?  Not  by  any  means.  He  has  still 
large  scope  for  usefulness.  He  can  by  slow  degrees 
train  the  people  to  like  better  books.  As  they  come  to 
his  office  and  ask  for  books  he  can  talk  with  them  and 
make  many  a  good  suggestion  as  to  books  of  which 
perhaps  they  have  never  heard. 

One  the  most  important  qualifications  of  the  good 
librarian  is  the  ability  to  direct  the  reading  of  those  who 
come  to  him  from  week  to  week.  As  soon  as  they  find 
out  that  he  knows  his  business  they  will  begin  to  look 
to  him  for  guidance.  They  wdll  ask  of  themselves 
what  he  has  that  is  interesting.  This  will  be  a  great 
gain,  both  to  him  in  his  work  and  to  the  school  in  its 
reading. 

The  Fact  is  That,  Just  Like  a  Good  Sales- 
man, w^ho  has  good  wares,  and  then  finds  a  market  for 
them,  so  a  good  librarian  first  sees  to  it  that  he  has  what 
the  people  want,  and  then  makes  the  people  take  that 
which  he  has  to  offer.  Yet  how  many  of  the  young 
men  or  women  who  stand  at  the  window  of  the  library 
have  any  such  conception  of  the  scope  of  their  duty? 
All  that  they  think  they  have  to  do  is  to  take  books  off 


1^8  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

from  the  shelves,  deHver  them  to  the  scholars,  and 
again  receive  them  and  deposit  them  on  the  shelves 
once  more.  The  difference  between  that  kind  of  a 
librarian  and  the  kind  that  I  have  indicated  is  world- 
wide. 

But  the  Librarian  Can  do  More  Than  This. — 
He  can  watch  the  growth  of  the  younger  scholars  in  the 
school,  and  when  he  finds  that  they  will  bear  some 
heavier  reading  can  suggest  what  they  had  better  take. 
It  is  true  that  many  children  stop  drawing  books  when 
they  have  gotten  through  the  "juvenile  "period,  simply 
because  they  do  not  know  what  else  to  call  for,  and  are 
not  told  of  what  stores  of  rich  material  there  is  in  the 
library  for  older  minds. 

For  such  scholars  the  librarian  should  be  on  the  look- 
out, and  prove  that  he  loves  them  by  forestalling  their 
wants  and  ministering  to  them  wisely.  In  this  way 
they  can  be  led  up  step  by  step,  till  they  are  able  to 
select  books  for  themselves.  All  their  future  lives  may 
thus  be  influenced  by  a  wise  supervision  exercised  by 
the  "  man  behind  the  window."  Is  this  a  small  thing 
to  do?  Nay,  we  know  of  no  more  important  work  in 
all  the  school. 

If,  Now,  Some  Librarian  into  whose  hands  this 
falls  says,  "  All  this  is  very  well,  but  I  have  not  the 
time  or  opportunity  to  speak  at  length  to  the  scholars," 
we  reply,  "You  will  In;  cjuite  surprised  to  find  liow 
nnicli  time  vou  haxe  for  tliis,  it  vou  only  use  what  you 


thp:  librarian.  199 

have.  As  for  opportunity,  you  can  make  opportunity 
at  times  other  than  those  when  you  are  at  work  on  Sun- 
day." If  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way,  here  as  else- 
where. 

As  AN  Aid  in  getting  information  before  the  school, 
the  librarian  may  well  make  use  of  a  bulletin  board. 
On  this  he  can  post  the  new  books  that  are  purchased 
from  time  to  time.  Or  he  can  recommend  through  it 
such  books  as  are  appropriate  to  the  lessons  for  the  day, 
for  which  teachers  will  be  very  grateful. 

If  the  lesson  is  on  temperance,  he  can  call  attention 
to  such  temperance  literature  as  he  has  on  his  shelves. 
Or,  if  it  be  a  missionary  lesson,  he  can  post  the  names  of 
the  best  missionary  books  that  there  are  in  the  library. 
In  this  way  many  a  book  can  be  gotten  into  circulation 
which  otherwise  would  lie  idle.  Remember,  it  is  not 
only  the  number  of  books  that  you  have,  but  the  fre- 
quency of  their  issue  that  constitutes  a  good  library. 
Of  what  use  are  unread  books  ?  Better  ten  good  ones 
read  than  a  hundred  that  are  never  opened. 

One  Way  in  Which  the  librarian  can  extend  the 
usefulness  of  his  work  is  by  frequent  conference  with 
his  pastor.  Most  probably  the  minister  is  the  best 
informed  person  as  to  the  new  books  that  come  out. 
At  all  events,  he  probably  knows  more  than  the  young 
librarian  who  has  just  been  appointed  to  the  office. 
Suppose  that  the  minister  proposes  to  preach  a  series  of 
sermons    on    Bible  heroes.     The   librarian    could    help 


200  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

considerably  if  he  knew  this  and  commended  such 
books  as  bore  on  the  general  theme  of  his  pastor. 
Working  together  thus,  they  both  could  accomplish 
more  than  if  they  worked  alone.      Could  they  not? 

Of  Course  a  Good  Librarian  will  somehow  get 
book  reviews.  Such  may  be  had  in  every  good  religious 
newspaper.  But  if  the  librarian  have  not  the  means  to 
subscribe  for  a  number  of  such  papers,  he  can  by 
inquiry  find  out  what  papers  are  taken  by  members  of 
the  congregation.  They  will  be  only  too  glad  to  let 
him  have  them,  when  they  have  read  them,  and  then  he 
can  see  what  is  being  published  that  is  new  and  helpful. 

In  this  way  he  will  keep  himself  well  informed,  and 
vvill  really  become  an  authority  on  the  subject  of  Sun- 
day school  books.  Then,  when  the  time  comes  to  select 
new  books,  people  will  turn  to  him  with  confidence. 
One  reason  why  the  Sunday  school  library  is  so  little 
thought  of  is  just  because  the  librarian  is  so  incom- 
petent, and  the  people  are  taught  to  think  little  of  the 
possibilities  of  his  department.  He  himself  is  often  to 
blame  for  this. 

The  Grace  of  Continuity  is  a  good  one  for  the 
librarian  to  cultivate.  Many  a  librarian  begins  well, 
and  makes  a  great  "  spurt."  Then  he  stops  and  thinks 
til  at  all  is  going  on  well.  Better  work  slowly  but 
steadily  than  nervously  and  fitfully.  It  is  the  old  story 
of  the  race  of  the  hare  and  tortoise.  The  hare  ran  like 
fury  for  awhile,  and  far  outran  the  tortoise.     But  then 


THE    LIBRARIAN.  20I 

he  lay  down  for  a  little  rest  and  fell  asleep.  Meantime 
the  tortoise  kept  steadily  on,  and  presently  passed  the 
sleeping  hare,  and  in  the  end  came  out  ahead. 

In  all  Sunday  school  work  I  prefer  the  deliberate  man 
who  keeps  at  it  (only  let  him  not  be  TOO  deliberate). 
*'  Hold-on  is  the  horse  that  is  to  win,"  is  a  good  saying. 

I  Know  of  No  Good  Reason  why  the  library 
should  be  open  only  on  Sunday.  This  is  indeed  the 
rule,  but  is  it  a  good  one?  Many  scholars  read  the 
book  that  they  drew  long  before  the  week  is  out.  Why, 
then,  should  they  be  obliged  to  wait  till  Sunday  before 
they  can  draw  again?  Besides,  there  are  always  some 
who  are  necessarily  detained  from  coming  to  the  school 
each  week,  and  if  the  library  is  open  on  a  week-day 
evening  they  can  avail  themselves  of  its  advantages. 

Why  should  not  the  library  be  open  on  the  evening  of 
the  mid-week  prayer-meeting?  It  could  not  possibly 
do  any  one  any  harm,  and  would  do  much  good.  It 
w^ould  draw  some  to  come  out  to  the  meeting,  for  the 
sake  of  getting  a  book,  who  otherwise  would  stay  at 
home.  The  librarian  could  be  on  hand  half  an  hour 
before  the  meeting  opened  and  close  at  the  hour  of 
service.  It  would,  of  course,  involve  some  sacrifice  on 
h.is  part,  but  for  what  was  he  elected  to  that  office  if  not 
in  order  that  he  might  be  a  help  to  all  who  w^ant  books? 

In  Large  Mission  Schools  it  is  becoming  more 
and  more  the  practice  to  have  the  library  open  every 
day  in  the  week.      Of  course,  such  libraries  have  many 


202  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

secular  books,  and  the  librarian  must  be  a  paid  official. 
But  the  good  results  from  such  a  practice  are  so  many 
and  great  that  no  one  who  has  tried  it  will  return  to  the 
old  method  of  opening  the  library  for  one  hour  on  one 
day  of  the  week.  The  books  do  ten  times  more  work 
on  this  plan  than  they  do  on  the  old,  and  that  is  what 
we  should  strive  for. 

In  a  Small  Sunday  School  the  machinery  for 
distributing  and  receiving  the  books  may  be  very  simple. 
But  in  a  school  of  four  to  six  hundred  members  you 
must  have  a  good  system.  Otherwise  you  will  have 
disorder,  and  will  of  necessity  lose  many  books.  What 
is  known  as  the  "  Eggleston  System"  is  the  best  that  I 
have  seen  for  a  library  of  not  over  two  thousand  volumes. 
This  system  requires  the  following  paraphernalia,  but  is 
very  simple  and  easily  managed. 

Have  Grooves  Sawed  in  the  Shelves,  above  and 
below,  opposite  to  each  other.  In  these  fit  strips  of  tin, 
in  this  way  giving  to  each  book  a  compartment  by  itself. 
Of  course,  these  compartments  will  have  to  be  made  to 
fit  the  books.  Then  fit  the  books  into  their  compart- 
ments, and  number  each  book  on  the  back,  and  each  com- 
partment to  match  the  book.  Have  another  set  of  shelves 
arranged  in  compartments  in  the  same  way,  with  this 
difference,  that  the  compartments  here  must  all  be  large 
enough  to  take  any  book  in  the  library.  These  compart- 
ments must  be  as  many  as  the  number  of  scholars  who 
draw  books.     Number  them  from  one  upward. 


THE    LIBRARIAN.  203 

To  Each  Scholar  is  Issued  a  card  about  six  inches 
by  three.  On  the  top  of  this  card  is  printed  a  number, 
by  which  that  scholar  is  to  be  known,  and  the  name  of 
the  scholar  and  address  is  written  in.  The  rest  of  the 
card  is  divided  into  squares,  in  which  the  scholar  writes 
the  numbers  of  the  books  that  he  desires,  in  the  order 
in  which  he  wants  them.  As  the  particular  book  that 
he  most  desires  may  not  be  in,  he  keeps  several  numbers 
on  his  card,  and  the  librarian  gives  him  that  number 
which  is  in. 

This  card  the  scholar  takes  home  with  him  always. 
Another  card  is  prepared  for  each  scholar,  having  on  it 
a  printed  number  corresponding  with  the  number  on 
that  scholar's  personal  card  and  the  scholar's  name,  and 
the  rest,  of  the  card  marked  with  the  months  of  the  year, 
and  against  each  month  the  numbers  i,  2,  3,  4,  5,  cor- 
responding  w4th  the  possible  five  Sundays  in  each 
month.  This  is  the  librarian's  card,  and  never  leaves 
the  librar\^  All  these  latter  cards  are  kept  in  a  long 
box,  in  regular  numerical  order,  so  as  to  be  easily  found 
when  wanted. 

Suppose,  Now%  That  the  First  Named  Cards 
have  been  issued  to  the  school.  Mary  Brown  wants  a 
book,  and  brings  her  card,  and  presents  it  at  the  window 
of  the  library.  The  librarian  takes  it,  and  goes  to  his 
box  in  which  his  other  cards  are,  and  picks  out  the  one 
which  has  a  number  corresponding  to  the  number  on 
Mary's  card.  Then  he  goes  to  his  shelves,  and  takes 
out  the  book  for  which  Mary  has  called.     In  the  place 


204  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

of  this  book  he  inserts  tlie  card  which  remains  in  the 
library,  having  first  marked  off  on  it  the  Sunday  Oii 
which  Marv  has  called  for  the  book. 

That  shelf  is  now  without  a  book,  but  has  a  card  in 
it  showing  that  Mary  Brown  has  that  book.  Mary's 
card  is  then  inserted  in  the  book,  and  the  book  put  into 
the  vacant  compartment  that  has  Mary's  number  on  it. 
When,  then,  Mary  comes  to  the  window  to  get  her 
book,  all  that  she  has  to  do  is  to  call  her  number.  The 
librarian  goes  at  once  to  that  shelf,  takes  out  her  book, 
and  hands  it  to  her.  In  this  way  he  can  work  with 
great  rapidity  and  exactitude. 

On  This  Plan,  which  we  used  for  many  years  in 
my  school  with  great  success,  each  compartment  of 
each  shelf  of  the  library  must  have  in  it  always  either  a 
book  or  a  card,  and  the  card  will  show  w^ho  has  that 
book  out  and  the  date  on  which  it  was  drawn.  This  is 
a  great  advantage,  as  any  one  will  easily  see,  and 
enables  the  librarian  to  trace  his  books  with  great 
accuracy  and  rapidity. 

For  Libraries  of  more  than  two  thousand  volumes 
this  system  will  hardly  do.  But  there  are  so  few  Sun- 
day school  libraries  of  more  than  that  number  of  books 
that  it  is  hardly  worth  the  while  to  take  them  into 
account.  If  yours  is  one  of  them,  then  the  best  way  for 
vou  to  do  is  to  learn  how  great  libraries  like  those  of 
our  cities  are  managed,  and  govern  your  own  on  the 
same  principles. 


<^H AFTER   XXII. 

THE    PRIMARY    CLASS. 
BY    MRS.     S.    W.     CLARK. 

IN  Discussing  the  Needs  of  the  primary  depart- 
ment, the  first  thing  we  will  speak  of  is  the  room. 
The  primary  class  needs  a  good  room.  Not  a  corner 
of  the  cellar,  where  it  is  dark,  nor  a  room  in'^the  garret, 
where  the  little  ones  have  to  climb  long  flights  of  steps 
to  reach  it,  nor  the  gallery  of  the  church,  where  the 
children  have  to  sit  in  the  pews  on  high  seats  and  wiggle 
until  school  is  out. 

In  Every  Church  where  there  are  children  enough, 
and  these  small  enough  to  form  a  primary  class,  there 
ought  to  be  a  separate  room  where  the  primary  teacher 
can  be  alone  with  her  class,  where  the}^  can  sing  when 
they  please  and  not  disturb  the  other  school,  and  where 
the  other  school  will  not  disturb  them. 

Rooms  that  are  divided  only  by  glass  doors  from  the 
large  school  are  also  objectionable.  The  teacher  is 
constantly  hindered  in  her  work  by  being   told  not  to 

Note.  In  this  chapter  I  deal  with  the  primary  class,  and  I  have  asked  Mrs.  S.  W. 
Clark,  of  New  Jersey,  a  most  successful  primary  teacher,  to  write  the  "  Hints  "  which  fol- 
low. She  writes  out  of  the  fulness  of  personal  work,  and  I  can  most  heartily  recommend 
all  that  she  says  as  being  thoroughly  practical. 

20S 


2o6  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

sing  just  then,  or  please  not  to  recite  quite  so  loud, 
because  they  disturb  the  other  school.  How  can  a 
teacher  do  her  best  under  such  circumstances  ? 

If  Your  Church  Has  a  Very  Large  primary 
department,  say  two  or  three  hundred,  then  the  church 
ought  to  have  for  their  use  two  or  three  separate  rooms, 
the  department  being  divided  into  three  classes  of  three 
grades. 

Having  a  room,  we  must  endeavor  to  the  best  of  our 
ability  to  make  it  attractive.  Let  the  floor  be  level, 
have  it  covered  with  a  carpet  if  you  can  get  it,  or  a 
hemp  matting.  I  know  this  article  will  reach  many 
teachers  who  cannot  get  a  new  carpet  or  an3^thing  new. 
Then  let  the  children  help  make  a  carpet.  They  will 
all  be  glad  to  bring  something  old  from  home  that  can 
be  cut  up  into  strips,  and  how  delighted  the  children 
will  be  to  sew  carpet  rags  to  make  a  carpet  for  their 
own  schoolroom.  Let  them  have  a  little  sewing  circle 
for  this  purpose.  Some  may  think  it  strange  to  suggest 
a  rag  carpet  for  a  Sunday  school  floor,  but,  dear  teacher, 
anything  is  better  than  the  noise  of  moving  feet,  and 
when  the  floor  is  bare  the  children  cannot  help  making 
a  noise. 

Let  the  Walls  of  the  Room  be  adorned  with 
mottoes,  pictures,  texts  of  different  colored  paper.  It  is 
a  good  idea  to  keep  one  part  of  the  wall  for  a  lesson 
picture  gallery.  I  mean  by  this,  as  you  go  through  the 
quarter's  work,  cut  each  picture  out  of  your  picture  leaf 


THE    PRIMARY    CLASS.  207 

cluster,  and  fasten  them  on  the  wall  in  the  order  of  the 
lessons.  The  little  ones  will  be  delighted  to  see  them 
there.  They  will  be  constantly  studying  them,  and  it 
will  aid  very  much  in  your  review  work.  By  using 
these  pictures  in  this  way,  the  picture  gallery  will  be 
constantly  changing.  The  leaf  cluster  can  be  bought 
for  $1.00  a  quarter  from  any  Sunday  school  publishing 
house.  In  your  windows  have  plants  and  flowers,  and 
try  in  every  way  to  make  the  room  attractive  and  beauti- 
ful. Then  the  children  will  love  to  come  to  the  Sun- 
day school. 

The  Seating  of  the  Schoolroom  is  a  verv 
important  matter.  If  it  is  at  all  possible,  have  chairs  of 
graded  heights.  Some  teachers  prefer  low  settees. 
The  greatest  objection  to  these  is  that  the  children  will 
crowd  each  other.  If  you  have  chairs,  each  child  has 
his  own  seat.  If  you  are  where  you  cannot  have  small 
chairs  or  settees,  and  have  to  use  the  high  seats  of  the 
synagogue,  I  think  the  best  plan  is  to  cut  them  down, 
and  make  them  low  enough  for  the  children.  If  some 
of  the  saints  have  to  sit  low  in  the  prayer  meeting,  it 
may  do  them  good,  and  perhaps  make  them  willing  to 
put  their  hands  in  their  pockets  and  supply  the  wants  of 
the  little  ones. 

Let  There  be  Plenty  of  God's  beautiful  sunlight 
and  plenty  of  fresh  air.  I  have  been  in  many  a  room 
crowded  with  children  where  the  air  was  perfectly 
stifling  and  every  one  of  the  windows  shut  tight.     And 


2o8  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

if  you  try  to  open  one,  they  stick  as  if  they  had  not  been 
opened  for  years.  Many  times  the  teacher  wonders 
what  is  the  matter  that  the  children  are  so  restless.  She 
cannot  keep  their  attention.  She  does  not  know 
whether  the  trouble  is  with  the  children  or  herself, 
when,  in  fact,  it  is  neither.  It  is  the  want  of  fresh  air. 
Now  let  the  teacher  open  the  windows  for  about  two 
minutes.  Let  the  children  stand  up,  and  keep  them 
busy  with  a  brisk  calisthenic  exercise.  The  little  ones 
will  not  take  cold  if  they  are  kept  moving.  Then  close 
the  windows  and  have  the  children  say  (with  motions) 
one  verse  of 

We'll  all  rise  up  together, 

We'll  all  sit  dowri  together. 
We'll  mind  the  rule  of  Sabbath  school 

And  all  sit  still  together. 

By  this  time  the  little  ones  will  be  refreshed,  the 
teacher  will  be  herself  again,  and  the  exercises  of  the 
school  can  go  on.  If  the  teacher  will  pay  proper 
attention  to  the  ventilation.,  the  room  need  never  become 
overheated ;  let  the  windows  be  down  from  the  top, 
enough  to  keep  the  room  quite  cool,  until  schooltime. 
When  the  children  come  in  from  the  cold  air  they  do 
not  feel  that  the  room  is  cold.  In  all  the  windows  have 
a  board  six  inches  wide  placed  under  the  lower  sash 
and  shut  the  sash  down  on  it ;  this  will  let  in  a  current 
of  fresh  air  all  the  time.  In  this  way  the  air  in  the 
roorn  can  be  kept  pure  and  fresh,  and  the  children  will 
not  be  exposed  to  a  draught. 


THE    PRIMARY    CLASS.  2O9 

Have  a  Raised  Platform  about  seven  inches,  and 
on  it  a  table  with  a  drawer  in  it,  in  which  the  teacher 
can  keep  her  small  supplies  ;  also  a  closet  for  storing 
papers,  pictures,  and  rolls.  A  piano  or  an  organ  is 
almost  indispensable.  A  primary  class  without  music 
is  a  very  dull,  unattractive  place.  To  those  schools 
that  have  no  piano,  and  cannot  afford  to  get  a  large 
organ,  I  would  say,  you  can  get  a  "  Mason  and  Ham- 
lin" baby  organ  for  $22.50. 

Don't  Call  the  Roll.  — This  method  of  keeping 
the  attendance  is  still  used  in  many  schools,  and  it  is  a 
very  bad  one.  I  have  been  in  manv  schools  and  have 
ached  to  take  the  roll  book  out  of  the  teacher's  hand, 
and  tell  her  to  go  on  with  the  work  of  the  class.  This 
is  what  I  have  heard  : 

''John?"  "  Present." 

"Mary?"  "Present." 

"James?"  "  Present." 

"Jane?  Jane?  Where  is  Jane?  Who  knows  any- 
thing about  Jane?  " 

"  Please,  ma'am,  she  is  not  here." 

"  What  is  the  matter?  " 

"  She  had  to  stay  home  to  tend  the  baby." 

"  Well,  let  us  go  on.     Lucy  ?  "     "  Here." 

"Joseph?" 

"  Please,  ma'am,  he  is  sick." 

Just  in  this  style  the  roll  of  about  seventy-five  scholars 
was  called.  I  thoucrht  to  mvself:  "Oh,  how  much 
precious  time  is  being  wasted  here  !  " 


2IO  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

Just  as  much,  and  sometimes  more,  precious  time  is 
wasted  in  hearing  the  children  say  texts  or  verses. 
The  teacher  goes  from  one  child  to  another,  asking : 
"  Do  you  know  your  text?  " 

'*No,  ma'am." 

*'  Do  you?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

'*  Can  you  say  it?  " 

'*  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  Let  me  hear  it." 

Then  the  child  stammers  through  it,  with  the  teacher's 
help,  and  so  the  teacher  goes  through  the  class.  You 
may  judge  how  much  time  there  is  left  for  all  the  rest 
of  the  work. 

Now  Let  Me  Tell  You  of  a  better  way.  Give 
to  each  child,  every  three  months,  a  small  envelope 
with  his  register  number  on  each.  Have  the  child  bring 
one  each  Sunday,  and  give  it  to  a  teacher  as  he  passes 
into  the  room.  The  pennies  are  to  be  put  into  these 
envelopes  before  the  child  comes  to  school. 

If  any  one  forgets  his  envelope  the  teacher  knows  it, 
and  takes  down  his  name  or  number,  and  in  this  way 
keeps  a  correct  roll.  There  are  many  plans  that  can 
be  used  that  save  time.  Some  use  a  numbered  quarterly 
card  that  has  thirteen  coupons  attached  to  it,  and  the 
child  brings  one  each  Sunday.  Then  some  use  cards 
that  have  the  whole  twelve  months  on  them,  and  the 
child  brings  this  card  every  Sunda}^  and,  as  he  passes 
the  door,  the  teacher  punches  out  the  date,  so  marking 


THE    PRnrARV    CLASS.  211 

him  present.  Any  method  that  a  teacher  can  invent 
for  her  own  use  that  will  serve  the  purpose  and  save  the 
time  will  do. 

To  Secure  the  Memorizing  of  the  golden  texts, 
give  to  each  child  a  card,  on  which  is  the  golden  text. 
Do  iiot  give  the  text  for  the  next  lesson,  but  give  the 
text  of  the  lesson  they  have  just  Iccwncd  about.  They 
will  be  more  likely  to  learn  it,  because  it  is  about  some- 
thing they  have  heard.  When  they  enter  the  school, 
let  them  pass  on  to  a  second  teacher,  whose  duty  it  is 
to  hear  the  texts,  and  if  the  child  knov/s  the  text,  the 
teacher  punches  the  card.  This  punch  says  that  the 
lesson  was  perfect. 

Every  twelve  golden  text  cards  -punched  should  entitle 
the  child  to  a  picture  card,  and  for  a  whole  year's  texts 
learned  (allowing  one  text  out  for  each  quarter)  the 
child  should  be  entitled  to  a  Bible,  or,  if  it  has  a  Bible, 
some  book  suited  to  the  child's  capacity.  All  this  work 
I  have  just  suggested  is  to  be  done  before  the  child  takes 
his  seat  in  the  schoolroom. 

The  Next  Question  is.  What  are  we  teachers  to 
do  who  have  to  be  in  the  church  building  with  all  the 
rest  of  the  school  ?  I  know  it  is  ver}^  hard  to  do  any 
work  under  such  circumstances.  Let  me  make  a  few 
suggestions. 

The  first  and  most  necessary  thing  to  do  is  to  shield 
the  class  and  yourself  from  the  gaze  of  the  school. 
This  can  be  done  in  this  way.     Ask  the  superintendent 


212  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

to  let  you  have  one  corner  of  the  back  of  the  church. 
Then  have  a  stout  pole  about  seven  feet  long  and  fasten 
it  securely  against  the  back  of  one  of  the  pews,  at  the 
end  next  the  aisle.  Then  stretch  a  stout  wire  from  one 
wall  to  the  post,  and  from  there  to  the  other  wall. 
Now  get  something  for  a  curtain :  dark  red  or  dark 
brown  canton  flannel  is  the  best.  Sew  rings  along  the 
top  of  this,  and  slip  them  on  the  wire  before  it  is  fastened 
to  the  walls. 

This  makes  a  nice  little  room  for  the  class.  A  cur- 
tain made  in  this  way  can  be  pushed  back  to  each  wall 
for  all  the  first  services  of  the  school,  and  when  you 
w^ant  the  class  for  the  lesson  just  draw  the  curtains  from 
the  walls  to  the  post,  and  fasten  them  with  safety  pins. 

Some  People  Are  Born  to  Rule. — They  have 
the  power  of  governing  within  themselves.  The  people 
they  meet  and  work  with  feel  it.  It  is  fortunate  for  the 
school  that  has  a  teacher  that  has  this  power  to  govern  ; 
whose  look,  word,  or  motion  will  bring  silence.  If  a 
teacher  cannot  keep  order  in  her  school,  much  of  her 
teaching  falls  to  the  ground. 

The  children  are  quick  to  see,  and  can  tell  by  the 
look  of  the  teacher's  face  and  the  tone  of  her  voice  if 
she  expects  to  be  obeyed.  The  law  of  obedience  is  the 
foundation  of  the  order  of  the  school.  A  look,  a  motion 
of  the  head  or  hand  is  all  that  a  teacher  ought  to  need 
to  have  perfect  attention  and  obedience.  Order  is  not 
obtained  by  noise,  or  banging  a  bell,  but  by  silence. 
When  the  time  comes  for  the  opening  of  the  school,  let 


THE    PRIMARY    CLASS. 


213 


the  teachers  stand  in  silence  before  the  class  for  a  few 
seconds.  The  little  ones  will  soon  learn  that  teacher 
expects  them  to  be  quiet,  too,  and  you  will  be  surprised 
to  see  how  soon  a  school  that  has  been  accustomed  to 
any  control  at  all  will  become  perfectly  quiet. 

I  Know  a  Teacher  who  never  needed  to  use  a  bell 
or  speak  a  loud  word,  but  when  she  stood  before  the 
class  with  her  book  of  responsive  exercises  in  her  hand 
the  school  would  become  perfectly  quiet,  and  when  they 
could  hear  the  clock  tick  the  teacher  would  begin  in  a 
low,  quiet  voice  to  repeat  the  responsiv-^  services,  and 
in  the  same  sweet,  reverent  tones  the  school  would  con- 
tinue. 

The  teacher's  rule  in  the  school  must  be  loving, 
gentle,  and  quiet,  but  at  the  same  time  it  must  be  firm. 
The  teacher  must  be  obeyed.  She  will  have  to  learn 
by  experience  what  to  do  with  that  bad  boy  or  that 
unruly  girl.  The  method  one  teacher  can  use  another 
cannot  use.  The  treatment  that  will  do  with  one  child 
will  not  do  with  another.  You  must  learn  what  will  do 
for  you  in  your  school  by  experience. 

There  is  One  Thing  that  I  think  will  work  well  in 
all  primary  classes.  That  is  a  hospital.  You  say, 
what  do  you  mean?  It  is  a  corner  of  the  room,  as  far 
from  the  other  children  as  you  can  arrange  it,  where 
the  children  that  have  sick  hands,  or  sick  feet,  or  bad 
tempers,  or  noisy  tongues  are  sent  to  be  cared  for  until 
they  are  better.     Boys  and  girls  all  go  to  the  same  hos- 


214  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

pital.  This  class  is  under  the  care  of  one  teacher  whose 
business  it  is  to  see  that  they  are  kept  perfectly  quiet. 
They  are  not  allowed  to  take  part  with  the  school  in 
any  of  the  exercises.  They  are  not  taught  anything. 
They  have  to  stay  in  this  class  until  they  are  cured. 
Sometimes  a  child  will  stand  it  two  Sundays,  but  seldom 
more,  and  they  do  not  want  to  go  back  to  it  very  soon. 

Devotional  Exercises. — How  shall  I  begin  to 
talk  to  you  about  this?  I  have  seen  many  things,  in 
so  many  different  schools,  that  have  the  name  of  devo- 
tional exercises  that  to  me  were  far  from  being 
devotional.  I  sat  in  a  church  once,  waiting  to  see  the 
working  of  the  school.  In  a  few  minutes  a  door  at  the 
other  side  of  the  room  opened,  and  in  marched  a  long 
line  of  little  children,  who  took  their  seats  on  some  high 
chairs  in  front  of  the  superintendent's  desk,  and  those 
that  could  not  crowd  onto  the  chairs  sat  on  the  cushion 
at  the  altar  rail.  There  they  sat  while  the  superinten- 
dent and  older  boys  and  girls  went  through  with  all 
their  opening  exercises.  Not  one  tune  was  sung  that 
the  little  ones  knew.  The  prayer  was  far  above  their 
understanding.  How  sorry  I  felt  for  them.  How  sorry 
I  was  for  that  worried,  anxious  teacher.  It  was  twenty 
minutes  wasted. 

Now  Let  Me  Tell  You  what  that  class  might 
have  done  with  that  twenty  minutes.  First,  singing 
something  sweet  and  devotional  that  all  the  children 
know.      Then  a  short  responsive   service,  then   a  silent 


THE    PRIMARY    CLASS.  2  Is 

prayer.  (How  helpful  these  silent  times  are.  How 
they  impress  on  the  mind  of  the  child  the  solemnity  of 
their  own  service.) 

Then  the  teacher  leads  the  school  in  prayer,  a  simple, 
childlike  prayer,  such  as  a  child  must  be  taught  to  pray. 
Now,  with  folded  hands  and  bowed  heads,  the  children 
repeat  each  sentence  after  the  teacher ;  then,  all 
together,  teachers  and  scholars  say  some  prayer  verses 
they  all  know.  Now  they  sing  again.  Then  they  say 
the  golden  text  for  that  day,  all  together ;  then  they 
review  the  golden  texts,  not  more  than  four  Sundays 
back.  Then  they  have  a  short  exercise  in  the  books  of 
the  Bible,  or  anything  else  that  the  school  is  learning. 

See  how  much  work  you  could  have  accomplished  in 
that  lost  twenty  minutes.  But  you  say,  what  can  we  do 
about  it?  How  can  we  change  it?  Labor  with  the 
superintendent.  Show  him,  if  you  can,  how  much 
better  it  will  be  for  the  class,  how  much  more  work  can 
be  done,  if  you  could  have  all  the  time  to  yourself. 

Don't  Ride  a  Hobby  in  your  school.  Above  all, 
don't  make  the  singing  a  hobby.  Too  much  singing  is 
as  bad  as  too  little.  I  think  the  practice  of  showing  off 
the  school  is  a  very  bad  one. 

Let  me  tell  you  what  I  heard  in  one  school.  After 
the  first  singing  and  prayer,  the  teacher  says,  "  Now  we 
will  have  a  solo  from  Mary." 

Then,  '*  I  wonder  if  the  choir  can  sing  us  some- 
thing." 

"  Now  we  will  have  a  duet  by  Annie  and  Willie." 


2l6  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

**  Here  is  a  very  little  boy  that  can  give  us  all  the 
texts  for  the  quarter.  That  is  fine ;  it  is  worth  five 
cents." 

Here  the  teacher  pays  the  child  for  saying  his  part. 
Then  we  had  half  a  dozen  other  things  before  the  lesson 
was  touched.  This  was  an  actual  fact.  This  sort  of 
thing  is  very  objectionable.  Do  not  make  shows  of 
your  schools. 

Never  Ask  the  Children  what  they  want  to  sing. 
Such  a  question  as  that  will  bring  half  the  school  to  its 
feet,  and  as  many  hands  waving  in  the  air,  and  if  you 
let  them  choose  there  will  be  so  many  different  things 
asked  for  that  you  will  finally  have  to  select  something 
yourself.  The  teacher  herself  must  have  all  this 
decided  before  she  comes  to  school. 

Always  arrange  your  own  program,  selecting  just 
what  you  will  sing.  Make  two  lists  of  this  selection, 
and  give  one  to  the  organist  and  keep  one  yourself. 
Let  it  be  not  only  what  you  will  sing,  but  everything 
else  you  wish  to  do  in  that  one  hour  and  a  half.  You 
will  find  that  a  properly  arranged  program  will  save 
you  much  time. 

The  Teacher  Finds  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in 
carrying  out  her  plans  if  she  has  not  the  proper  helpers. 
There  must  always  be  some  one  in  the  school  that  can 
sing.  If  the  teacher  cannot  lead  in  the  singing,  then 
one  of  the  assistants  must  be  selected  for  that  purpose. 
This  qualification  is  more  important  than  the  ability  to 


THE    PRIMARY    CLASS.  217 

play ;  the  school  can  sing  without  a  piano,  but  it  cannot 
sing  without  a  voice  to  lead  them.  But  it  is  very  much 
better  if  some  one  can  play  also. 

Don't  let  the  children  shout.  Teach  them  to  sing 
sweetly.  Let  them  feel  that  there  is  worship  in  the 
singing,  as  well  as  in  prayers.  A  verse  now  and  then 
sung  softly  has  a  very  quieting  effect  on  the  school. 

Motion  songs  are  a  pleasant  change  and  restful  to  the 
children.  They  make  a  nice  variety  in  the  school ; 
also  recitations  with  motions.  The  impression  of  some 
of  tliem  on  the  mind  of  the  child  is  good  and  helpful. 
What  school  is  there  that  does  not  say  with  reverence  :  — 

Two  little  eyes  to  look  to  God, 
Two  little  ears  to  hear  his  w^ord, 
Two  little  feet  to  walk  in  his  way, 
Two  hands  to  work  for  him  all  day. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK. CONTINUED. 

BY    MRS.    S.    W.    CLARK. 

THE  Teacher's  Tools  are  many,  but  the  one  that 
can  be  made  the  most  helpful  is  the  blackboard. 
She  can  do  more  and  better  work  with  this  than  with 
anything  else.  Oh,  how  completely  she  holds  the  eyes 
of  her  little  ones  when  she  stands  before  the  class  with 
the  chalk  in  her  hand.  How  wide  open  are  all  the  little 
eye-gates,  and  while  the  teacher  holds  the  eye-gates  she 
has  the  ear-gates,  too,  for  while  they  are  looking  they 
are  listening. 

In  Talking  to  Teachers  about  their  work,  and 
recommending  to  them  the  use  of  the  board,  the  answer 
five  times  out  of  ten  will  be:  ''Oh,  I  can't  use  the 
blackboard."  If  the  teacher  could  only  understand  the 
power  there  is  in  a  blackboard  and  a  piece  of  chalk, 
she  would  never  say  I  canH  ;  rather,  she  would  say  / 
wi'll  use  the  blackboard,  and  if  I  don't  know  how,  I  will 
learn.  Dear  teacher,  you  can  use  the  blackboard  if  you 
will  only  try,  and  where  there  is  a  will  there  is  always  a 
way.  I  know  many  of  you  have  a  limited  amount  of 
means,  and  you   say  I   can'l  get  a  blackboard.     If  you 

218 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK.  2I( 


cannot  get  an  expensive  one,  let  me  tell  you  now  to 
make  one  that  will  be  better  than  any  one  that  you  can 
buy. 

Get  the  carpenter  to  make  you  a  plain  board,  nicely 
joined,  about  three  by  four  and  a  half  feet,  or  larger,  if 
you  wish  it ;  cover  this  first  with  four  or  five  layers  of 
newspaper ;  be  sure  that  the  edges  exactly  meet,  and 
have  the  paper  quite  smooth  and  just  the  size  of  the 
board.  Over  this  put  two  layers  of  cheap,  unbleached 
muslin  ;  tack  each  layer  separately,  drawing  each  very 
tight.  Over  this  put  a  piece  of  blackboard  cloth  ;  draw  it 
tight  and  tack  it,  turning  it  over  the  edge,  and  tacking 
it  on  the  ends  of  the  board.  Then  put  a  narrow  beading 
all  around  the  edges  of  the  board. 

This  is  called  a  padded  board,  and  is  far  better  to 
write  on  than  any  other.  The  board  can  be  covered  on 
both  sides,  if  you  wish  it.  If  you  cover  one  side,  the 
board  can  be  fastened  to  the  wall,  and  if  you  wish  a 
second  surface  to  work  on,  get  a  second  piece  of  black- 
board cloth,  fasten  it  to  a  Hartshorn  window-shade 
roller,  and  have  this  fastened  to  the  top  of  your  board. 
It  can  be  drawn  up  and  down  the  same  as  a  window 
shade.  The  blackboard  cloth,  36  inches  wide,  costs 
$1.25  a  linear  yard;  48  inches  wide,  $1.60  a  linear 
yard. 

Before  you  mark  on  a  new  board  at  all  it  must  be 
primed  in  this  way.  Take  whole  pieces  of  chalk,  and 
rub  the  board  all  over  until  it  is  perfectly  white,  then 
rub  it  well  in  with  the  hand,  then  with  a  piece  of  soft 
cloth  rub  it  off.      Now  with  a  clean  cloth  rub  it  as  clean 


220  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

as  you  can  get  it.  This  treatment  of  the  board  leaves 
the  surface  a  Httle  gray,  but  the  writing  will  be  much 
more  easily  erased.  Never  clean  the  chalk  off  a  board 
with  a  wet  cloth.  Many  a  board  has  been  ruined  by 
such  treatment.  If  your  board  gets  so  bad  that  you  think 
you  must  wash  it,  take  a  soft  cloth  and  clean  water  (no 
soap)  and  wash  a  small  portion  of  the  board  at  a  time 
(about  one  quarter  of  it),  then  rub  it  dry  immediately 
with  a  dry  towel.  Let  the  board  stand  about  an  hour 
before  writing  on  it  again.  You  must  not  write  on  a 
board  while  it  is  at  all  damp. 

How  TO  Use  the  Board.  —  How  many  times  I 
have  been  asked  that  question,  and  how  can  I  make  you 
understand  by  telling  you  that  which  I  feel  I  ought  to 
show  you?  When  I  talk  of  this  matter  to  teachers  the 
general  excuse  is  :  "I  am  not  an  artist.  I  can't  draw." 
If  you  are  not  an  artist,  I  am  glad  of  it.  We  do  not 
want  beautiful  blackboarding.  The  simpler  the  work 
the  better. 

Many  a  little  one  goes  home,  and  says  :  "I  can  make 
what  teacher  made  on  the  board  to-day."  A  little  boy 
went  home  from  school  a  few  Sundays  ago,  saying  : 
*«  I  can  make  the  lesson  we  had  to-day,"  and  he  took 
his  slate  and  pencil,  and  sat  down  by  mother,  and  said  : 
*'See,  mother,  this  is  the  sea;  I  can  make  it;  and 
Jesus  got  into  a  boat  right  here,  and  this  mark  was  for 
Jesus,  and  he  went  over  here  this  way,  and  the  people 
went  this  way.  They  wanted  to  hear  what  Jesus  said, 
and  they  stayed  all  day.     See,  mamma,  this  is  the  little 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK. 


221 


boy  that  had  the  basket  of  lunch,  and  here  is  the  basket. 
This  cross  was  Jesus,  and  these  Httle  straight  marks 
were  the  disciples.  O  mamma,  there  were  lots  and  lots 
of  people  there,  and  they  got  awful  hungry,  and  there 
were  only  five  loaves.  See,  here  they  are,  and  this  is 
the  way  that  teacher  made  the  fish,  but  there  were  onlv 
two  of  them." 

"  And  was  there  enough,  dear?"  asked  mamma. 


"Yes,  mamma;  Jesus  made  it  enough,  and  only 
think,  mamma,  a  little  boy  helped." 

And  after  a  few  minutes'  quiet  thought,  he  said : 
*'  Mamma,  I  am  going  to  help  Jesus,  too.  Jesus  says 
he  likes  little  boys  to  help." 

Oh,  these  sweet  lessons,  how  they  draw  the  children 
to  Christ.  The  little  sketch  above  is  the  lesson  as 
remembered  by  the  child. 


222 


WAYS    OF    WORKING, 


Who  will  say  I  can't  use  the  blackboard  when  such 
simple  work  will  do  so  much  good?  A  few  straight 
lines,  a  dot,  a  dash,  a  few  crooked  lines  can  represent 
anything  3^ou  wish.  The  child's  imagination  will  see 
whatever  3^ou  wish  the  marks  and  lines  to  represent. 
A  short  mark  is  a  man,  a  few  tall  crooked  marks  is  a 
tree,  a  few  lines  across  the  board  is  a  road,  a  lot  of 
little  marks  is  a  crowd  of  people. 

In  teaching  the  lesson  of  the  widow's  son  being  raised, 
these  few  lines  make  the  story  very  clear  to  the  child. 
How  much  they  add  to  the  teacher's  word  picture. 
Eyes  and  ears  are  both  held  while  you  fill  the  little 
heart  with  the  sweet  story  of  Jesus'  loving  sympathy. 

The  gateway  in  the  wall  of  the  city  of  Nain.  The 
funeral  procession  going  out  to  bury  the  dead. 

There  is  not  a  lesson  that  is  selected  for  our  teaching 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK.  2  2^ 

in  which  we  cannot  use  the  board  in   teaching   it,  if  not 
in  picture,  then  in  words. 

But  You  Say  the  Children  Can't  Read.  — 
Then  we  must  put  the  work  on  the  board  in  such  a  way 
that  they  will  understand  what  it  means  if  they  cannot 
read  it.  For  names  make  initial  letters  with  bright- 
colored  crayons.  For  long  words  make  long  dashes  of 
different  colors,  only  writing  out  such  short  words  as 
can  be  read.  Always  print  out  in  full  JESUS,  GOD, 
LOVE.  These  have  to  be  used  so  often  that  the  chil- 
dren will  soon  learn  them.  A  heart,  a  cross,  a  crown 
are  little  word  pictures,  and  can  be  used  in  many  of  our 
lessons.  If  you  wish  to  put  some  of  the  work  on  the 
board  before  the  time  for  the  lesson,  always  cover  it 
with  black  tissue  paper,  and  have  it  so  arranged  that  you 
can  uncover  just  w^hat  you  w^ant  to  show  next.  If  the 
children  see  all  the  blackboard  work  at  once  before  you 
have  taught  the  lesson,  they  soon  lose  interest,  and  you 
lose  their  attention.  I  would  advise  the  teacher,  as  far 
as  you  possibly  can,  to  use  the  chalk  while  you  talk. 
Let  the  children  see  you  do  the  work.  Let  them  count 
or  speak  the  letters  as  you  print  them  ;  this  keeps  them 
busy. 

Maps. — It  is  better  for  the  teacher  of  the  primary 
class  to  make  her  own  maps.  If  she  has  not  blackboard 
room  enough  to  spare  for  this  purpose,  get  a  piece  of 
manilla  paper,  and  with  colored  chalks  make  an  outline 
map,  and  make  the  different  mountains,  rivers,   cities, 


2  24  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

and  journeys  as  she  comes  to  them  in  the  lesson.  This 
can  easily  be  replaced  with  a  new  piece  of  paper  for 
any  other  course  of  lessons.  The  teacher  will  find 
objects  and  pictures  very  helpful  in  gaining  the  atten- 
tion of  the  class,  but  be  sure  and  put  the  object  out  of 
sight  after  it  has  served  its  purpose.  By  so  doing  the 
child's  attention  will  be  turned  from  the  object  to  the 
lesson  itself. 

How  TO  Teach  the  Words  of  our  hymns  is  a 
question  that  is  often  asked  and  puzzles  many  teachers. 
The  custom  of  repeating  the  words  of  a  song,  line  by 
line,  and  having  the  class  repeat  it  after  you,  is  the  only 
method  that  many  teachers  know  of,  and  is  not  a  good 
way.  There  are  many  better  methods.  Some  write 
the  words  on  the  board  and  help  the  children  to  read 
from  the  board.  Some  write  them  on  manilla  paper, 
and  hang  it  on  the  wall,  and  sing  from  it  until  they 
know  the  words. 

The  best  plan  that  I  know  of  is  to  print  the  words  on 
paper  and  give  them  to  the  child  to  be  learned  at  home. 
On  the  same  paper  print  a  little  note  to  mother,  asking 
her  to  see  that  the  little  ones  learn  the  verses  before  the 
next  Sunday.  In  the  same  note  invite  her  to  come  and 
see  the  school.  I  know  a  teacher  who  uses  this  method, 
and  the  children  are  always  ready  with  the  words  when 
she  wants  to  teach  the  music.  The  very  fact  of  the 
mother  teaching  the  words  to  her  little  child  creates  an 
interest  in  the  heart  of  the  mother  and  will  often  bring 
her   to   see  the  school.     The   Simplex   Printer  can  be 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK.  225 

used   for  this   work,   is   very   reasonable  in   price,    and 
does  good  work. 

The  Preparation  of  the  Lesson.  —  I  am  sorry 
to  have  to  reveal  to  you  a  secret  which  I  have  discovered 
by  coming  in  contact  with  many  teachers.  It  is  this. 
Many  teachers  do  not  prepare.  Not  long  ago  I  was  in  a 
school  of  about  one  hundred  scholars  where  the  teacher 
evidently  knew  nothing  about  the  lesson,  only  the  hints 
she  got  from  the  picture  of  the  leaf  cluster.  All  she 
seemed  to  have  to  say  was  that  those  wicked  men  were 
going  to  push  Jesus  off  those  rocks,  and  was  it  not  a 
shame,  and  would  they  do  such  a  thing  ?  She  had  made 
no  preparation,   and  so  she  had  little  or  nothing  to  say. 

Many  Times  when  I  have  asked  the  question  (even 
as  late  as  Thursday  in  the  week).  Where  is  the  lesson? 
or.  What  is  it  about?  comparatively  few  could  answer 
either  question.  Too  many  teachers  do  not  realize  the 
need  of  this  preparation.  Some  do  not  even  look  at 
the  lesson  until  Saturday  or  even  Sunday  morning. 
How  can  they  expect  to  teach?  They  can  tell  just 
what  they  read,  but  can  they  teach  anything?  Teach- 
ing implies  much  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  teacher. 
How  can  you  teach  God's  word  if  you  do  not  know  it? 
How  can  yoU  know  it  if  you  do  not  study  it? 

Look  Ahead.  —  See  where  the  lessons  are,  what  they 
are  about,  what  the  text  is.  Get  a  general  idea  of  the 
lesson  plan  for  the  month  or  quarter.  This  will  help  you 
in  planning  your  lesson  work  ;  you  will  have  some  idea 


226  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

of  what  you  can  use,  and  so  be  able  to  pick  up  illustra- 
tions, pictures,  objects  for  future  use. 

Begin  the  preparation  of  your  lesson  on  Sunday, 
after  you  are  rested  a  little  from  the  fatigue  of  the  after- 
noon's work,  while  your  mind  is  still  active  and  busy 
with  the  last  lesson.  Take  up  the  Bible  and  read  the 
next  lesson,  thus  connecting  another  car  to  the  train  of 
lessons.  Read  carefully,  slowly,  two  or  three  times. 
Read  the  verses  before  and  after  the  selected  lesson. 
Now  let  it  rest ;  you  are  too  tired  to  do  any  more  now, 
but  the  seed  is  sown,  and  the  lesson  will  grow  as  the 
days  go  by.  Water  this  little  seed  with  much  prayer, 
and  see  how  soon  the  lesson  will  spring  up. 

To  Help  this  Growth  we  must  study  the  lesson 
surroundings.  The  places  and  people  of  the  lesson, 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people,  the  teachings 
of  the  lesson.  As  you  go  about  your  every-day  duties, 
keep  your  eyes  open  for  illustrations,  things  you  hear 
and  see  in  the  street,  objects  or  pictures  you  may  see, 
anything  and  everything  that  will  help  to  illustrate. 
Do  not  be  satisfied  with  just  a  little  study  and  think  that 
that  will  do  for  a  child.  The  little  ones  seem  to  know 
by  instinct  whether  you  really  know  the  lesson  or  not. 
Find  out  everything  you  can  about  the  lesson,  fill  your 
heart  full ;  then  when  you  come  before  your  class  you 
will  not  lack  for  words.  While  you  are  doing  this 
studying  one  of  the  thoughts  must  be.  How  can  I  pre- 
sent this  to  the  little  ones  so  that  they  will  understand 
it?     Here  the  blackboard  will  be  your  best  help. 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK. 


227 


The  Assistant  Teacher  has  many  and  varied 
duties  in  the  school.  She  ought  to  be  punctual  and 
regular  in  her  attendance.  Each  assistant  ought  to  have 
her  own  appointed  duty  and  her  own  place  in  the  school- 
room. Some  have  the  duties  at  the  door  to  attend  to ; 
others  have  to  see  that  the  children  are  seated  right  and 
have  their  outer  garments  removed,  and  to  keep  the 
little  ones  reasonably  quiet.  Perfect  quiet  is  not  needed 
until  the  opening  of  the  school.  The  assistant  must 
have  her  own  place  among  the  children  while  the  lesson 
is  being  taught.  If  she  has  to  move  about  or  speak  to 
a  child,  do  it  just  as  quietly  as  possible.  Some  assist- 
ants make  more  noise  than  the  children  do,  trying  to 
keep  order. 

There  ought  to  be  no  occasion  for  the  assistant  to 
move  or  speak  during  the  lesson  time ;  the  teacher's 
teaching  power  ought  to  hold  her  class  in  order.  I 
know  a  teacher  whose  assistants  never  moved  or  spoke 
to  the  children  while  she  was  teaching  the  lesson.  If 
the  little  ones  became  restless,  she  just  stopped  and  was 
silent  a  minute.  This  soon  brought  all  eyes  to  her,  and 
then  she  continued  the  lesson.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
assistants  to  see  that  the  children  are  ready  to  go  home, 
to  be  at  the  door  with  the  papers  and  cards.  Let  this 
be  attended  to  at  the  door,  not  all  over  the  room.  The 
teacher  herself  wants  her  time  here  to  speak  to  mothers 
and  visitors. 

These  Visitors  Are  Sometimes  a  great  trouble  to 
the  teacher.     She  wishes  with  all  her  heart  that  they 


228  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

would  not  come  to  her  room.  She  does  not  hke  to  teach 
before  them.  Some  teachers  stop  their  work  and  go  to 
singing  when  any  one  comes  in.  This  is  very  bad, 
both  for  herself  and  the  school.  She  must  learn  to  be 
brave  and  go  on  with  the  lesson.  Let  one  of  the  assist- 
ants seat  visitors  at  the  back  of  the  room  where  the 
children  will  not  see  them.  Never  invite  a  visitor  to 
the  platform,  or  give  them  seats  in  front  of  the  school. 
A  visitor's  gallery  is  a  very  nice  thing  if  you  can  have 
it ;  if  not,  have  reserved  seats  at  the  back  of  the  room 
for  parents  and  visitors.  Do  not  invite  visitors  generally 
to  speak  to  the  school.  If  the  pastor  or  superintendent 
comes  in,  let  them  sit  at  the  back  of  the  room  until  the 
lesson  is  over,  then  invite  them  to  speak  to  the  school. 
The  children  ought  to  see  and  know  them,  and  they 
ought  to  know  the  children.  A  word  or  two  from  the 
pastor  is  always  helpful  and  pleasant. 

Review,  Review,  Review.  — This  is  the  only  way 
to  really  fasten  your  teaching.  Go  over  the  work  at  the 
close  of  the  lesson.  Begin  the  next  lesson  with  a  review 
of  the  last.  Do  not  tell  them,  but  make  them  tell  you 
what  the  last  lesson  was.  The  words  on  the  board, 
the  picture,  the  text,  the  teachings  of  the  lesson.  If 
the  children  cannot  tell  you  anything  about  the  lesson, 
you  may  be  sure  you  have  not  taught  them  anything. 
If  they  cannot  give  back  to  you  that  which  3^ou  have 
tried  to  give  to  them,  then  they  have  not  really  learned 
anything.  This  is  the  only  way  the  teachei:  can  test 
her  work.      In  asking  the  questions  in  a  review,  do  not 


PRIMARY    CLASS    WORK.  229 

ask  them  in  such  a  way  that  the  answers  can  be  just 
yes  and  no,  ma'am.  Help  the  children  to  think  and 
find  the  answer  in  their  own  minds.  Review  plans  are 
a  very  necessary  help. 

On  the  second  side  of  the  board,  or  on  a  piece  of 
paper,  have  some  design  in  which  to  put  some  part  of 
each  lesson.  A  window  with  twelve  panes  of  glass, 
one  pane  for  each  lesson.  A  ladder  with  twelve  rounds. 
A  book  with  twelve  leaves,  turning  one  each  Sunday. 
This  can  be  made  of  paper.  Any  design  that  will  serve 
the  purpose  will  do.     But  I  say  again,  review. 

Which  is  the  Best,  subdivided  or  undivided 
classes?  Which  of  these  is  best  depends  largely  on  the 
size  of  the  school  and  the  qualification  and  ability  of  the 
teacher  to  hold  the  class.  Some  teachers  can  hold  a 
hundred  scholars  without  any  trouble ;  others  find  it  is 
all  they  can  do  to  hold  thirty,  or  forty,  or  even  twenty. 
The  material  you  have  to  work  with  must  decide  what 
you  will  do  with  the  school.  Very  large  schools,  say 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  scholars,  will  do 
better  work  as  divided  schools.  Have  one  teacher  for 
every  ten  scholars,  a  circle  of  chairs  and  a  little  stand 
for  each  class.  The  subdivided  school  ought  to  be 
graded.  Children  up  to  five  years  in  the  lower  grade, 
up  to  seven  in  the  second,  to  nine  in  the  advanced 
grade.  This  will  be  the  graduating  class  and  must  be 
prepared  for  entering  the  other  school. 

The  Requirements  for  promotion  are  :  The  Lord's 


230  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

Prayer,  Ten  Commandments,  Twenty-third  Psalm, 
Beatitudes,  and  the  Books  of  the  Bible.  In  this  grade 
the  children  must  be  taught  how  to  handle  the  Bible ; 
that  is,  how  to  find  the  different  books,  chapters,  and 
verses  quickly.  The  duties  in  the  other  grades  are  : 
to  keep  the  roll,  collect  the  pennies,  hear  the  texts,  and 
to  teach  them  where  they  are  not  known,  teach  the 
words  of  the  new  hymns,  or  any  other  exercises  that  the 
superintendent  wants  to  put  into  the  school.  Keep 
order  while  the  superintendent  is  teaching  the  lesson, 
distribute  papers  and  cards  in  your  own  class  at  the 
close  of  the  school.  In  the  divided  school  there  ought 
to  be  a  receiving  class,  in  which  all  new  scholars  are 
placed  until  they  can  be  assigned  to  a  regular  class. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE    HOME    DEPARTMENT. 

OF  Late  Years  there  has  sprung  up  a  new  depart- 
ment of  Sunday-school  activity,  called  the  Home 
Department.  This  has  met  a  long-felt  want  on  the  part 
of  the  Sunday-school  workers,  and  its  success  in  various 
States  has  been  quite  phenomenal.  For  example,  at  the 
New  York  State  Convention,  held  in  Saratoga  in  1895, 
it  was  shown  that  in  one  tenth  of  all  the  Sunday  schools 
in  this  State  there  are  now  organized  home  class  de- 
partments. 810  were  reported  as  organized  at  that  date, 
with  27,400  students,  4,500  classes,  and  4,500  visitors. 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  each  have  about  5,000 
members  in  their  different  departments ;  New  Jersey, 
about  10,000;  Ohio,  5,000;  Indiana,  5,000.  These 
figures  are  quite  enough  to  show  that  this  new  depart- 
ure is  meeting  with  very  gratifying  success. 

Some  one  May  Ask  What  is  the  Need  of  this  new 
phase  of  Sunday-school  activity?  To  this  we  reply 
that  there  are  multitudes  of  adults  who,  for  various  rea- 
sons, are  really  not  able  to  attend  the  Sunday  school. 
Some  are  detained  by  family  cares ;  others,  by  feeble 
health ;  and  still  others,  because  of  the  great  distance 
from  their  homes  to  the  school.     There  are  still  others 


232  WAYS  OF  workim;. 

who  are  so  much  "  on  the  road"  that  they  are  debarred 
from  attendance  in  the  school  of  their  own  church.  It 
was  to  meet  the  needs  of  these  that  the  Home  Depart- 
ment was  organized. 

In  Order  That  Our  Readers  may  clearly  under- 
stand the  ground  covered  by  the  home  work,  we  give 
the  following  two  definitions  as  laid  down  by  W.  A. 
Duncan,  Ph.  D.,  president  of  the  New  York  State  Sun- 
day-School Executive  Committee. 

First.  A  Home  Class  is  made  up  of  one  or  more  per- 
sons, pledged  to  study  the  Sunday-school  lesson  at 
home,  in  connection  with  some  Sunday  school,  at  least 
half  an  hour  each  week. 

Second.  A  Home  Department  is  made  up  of  all  the 
Home  Classes  formed  in  connection  with  any  Sunday 
school,  and  is  a  recognized  branch  of  the  school  under 
a  superintendent  regularly  appointed,  and  having  a 
corps  of  visitors,  whose  duty  it  is  to  visit  the  members 
of  the  Home  Classes  at  stated  intervals,  for  the  purpose 
of  distributing  the  requisite  lesson  literature,  receiving 
the  class  report  cards,  and  the  Home  Class  offerings. 
It  is  their  duty  to  stimulate  the  interest  in  Bible  study, 
and  bring  the  members  into  closer  membership  with  the 
school  and  church. 

If  It  be  Desired  to  organize  such  a  department  in 
any  school,  the  following  is  the  method  usually  adopted. 
The  teachers  of  the  home  school,  after  due  considera- 
tion of  the  matter,  pass  a  vote  to  organize  a  Home  De- 


THE    HOME    DEPARTMENT.  233 

partment.  They  then  appoint  either  a  superintendent, 
or  perhaps  better,  a  small  committee,  into  whose  hands 
the  new  work  is  committed.  This  committee  should 
then  make  a  careful  canvass.  First,  of  the  families  in 
which  church  members  are  found.  These  should  be 
visited,  and  the  scheme  explained  to  them  clearly  and 
patiently.  They  should  then  be  asked  whether  they 
w^ould  not  join  the  Home  Department  of  the  mother 
school.  Sometimes  it  is  well  to  make  two  visits  on  any 
prospective  member  of  this  department.  In  this  case 
the  first  visit  w^ould  be  devoted  to  an  explanation  of  the 
plan  used.  The  second  visit  would  have  as  its  aim  the 
active  enlistment  of  the  individual  or  individuals  in 
the  home,  and  the  distribution  of  the  first  instalment  of 
Home  Department  lessons. 

The  Next  Step  Would  be  to  canvass  the  families  of 
those  who  are  church  attendants,  in  which,  however, 
there  are  no  church  members.  Here  the  same  steps 
are  to  be  taken  which  have  proved  successful  in  the 
first  group  of  families.  The  committee  may  feel  quite 
sure  that  they  will  in  all  cases  receive  a  cordial  wel- 
come, provided  they  go  with  a  spirit  of  love  in  their 
hearts. 

As  A  Specimen  of  the  Home  membership  card,  we 
give  the  following,  which  has  been  copyrighted  by 
W.  A.  Wilde  &  Co. 


234 


WAYS    OF    WORKING. 


Certificate  ot  MemDerst^ip  In 

THE   HONE   DEPARTMENT. 


This  CCRTiriOTTE  Is  issued  to 


who,  having  promised  to  study  the  regular  Sunday-school  lesson  at  least  half  an  hour 
each  week  unless  prevented  by  some  good  cause, 

IS  HEREBY  ADMITTED  TO  MEMBERSHIP  IN  THE  HOME  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE 

__^_  Sunday  School 

of 

and  is,  while  the  membership  continues,  entitled  to  the  use  of  the  library  and  to  all  social 
and  other  privileges  enjoyed  by  other  members  of  the  school. 


SUPERINTENDENT. 


Date. 


COPYRIGHT,   1897,    BY   W.   A.    WILDE   &   CO. 


SUPT.  OF    HOME   DEPARTMENT. 


Home  Class  Report  Card. 

In  the  blank  space  for  the  day,  record  your  study  of  the  lesson  by 
an  inclined  mark,  thus  /,  or  your  attendance  on  the  main  school  by 
an  X. 
Home  Department  of Sunday  School 


Class  No 

Names  of  Members 

Mo 

nth  of 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Month  of 


Month  of 


3    4    5      I      2    3    4 


189 


Missionary  offerings- 


Totals. 

Unless  called  for,  this  card  when  filled  should  be  returned  to 

street,  when  another  card 


will  be  sent  you. 


Of  course  the   regular  card  ought  to   be  made   larger 
than  the  specimen  given  above. 


THE    HOME    DEPARTMENT.  235 

The  Committee  Having  in  Charge  this  depart- 
ment of  the  work  should  then  make  a  regular  report  to 
the  home  school,  so  that  the  work  done  by  the  Home 
Department  can  be  recognized  as  being  identically  the 
same  as  that  done  by  those  in  regular  Sunday-school 
attendance. 

If  Any  One  Ask  what  are  the  peculiar  advantages  of 
the  Home  Department,  we  reply :  First,  because  it  is 
an  unspeakable  blessing  to  those  who  enter  it.  Though 
they  pledge  themselves  to  study  the  Bible  for  only  one 
half  hour  each  week,  this  will  prove  most  helpful  to 
them.  I  fear  that  without  some  such  pledge  there  are 
multitudes  of  church  members  (to  say  nothing  of  non- 
church  members)  who  do  not  give  one  half  hour  a 
week  to  the  study  of  God's  Word.  This  is  truly  lament- 
able, for  many  of  these  same  individuals  give  many 
hours  each  week  to  the  reading  of  the  daily  paper, 
or  the  perusal  of  the  last  novel. 

But  Beside  This,  the  Home  Department  aids  the 
school  by  creating  a  Sunday-school  spirit  in  the  homes 
of  the  community,  and  by  increasing  the  attendance 
at  the  Sunday-school  sessions  themselves.  If  parents 
study  the  lesson,  even  though  they  do  not  attend  school, 
will  they  not  be  more  in  sympathy  with  their  children, 
who  are  engaged  upon  the  same  portions  of  God's 
Word?  Will  they  not  willingly  help  them,  and  possibly 
be  helped  by  them  to  a  better  understanding  of  the 
Word  of  Life  ? 


236  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

It  Increases  the  Contributions,  for  there  are  few 
Home  Department  scholars  who  are  not  able  to  give 
something  each  week,  either  toward  the  expenses  of  the 
school,  or  toward  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  our  own 
and  other  lands.  Indeed,  Home  Departments  are  some- 
times financially  much  more  able  to  give  than  are  the 
younger  scholars  in  primary  departments.     • 

Furthermore,  the  Home  Department  aids  the 
church.  The  pastor,  for  example,  knows  that  many  of 
his  people  are  studying  selected  portions  of  God's  Word 
in  their  homes.  This  guides  him  in  his  preaching,  and 
enables  him  to  minister  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  his 
people  much  more  intelligently.  Indeed,  the  advan- 
tages of  a  Home  Department  such  as  we  have  been 
speaking  of  are  very  many,  and  the  disadvantages 
are  absolutely  none. 

As  Home  Department  Scholars  do  not  meet  with 
each  other  regularly  in  the  week,  it  is  well  to  have  a 
rally  at  least  once  a  quarter  for  their  especial  benefit. 
A  *'  Home  Department  Sociable  "  is  a  most  helpful  thing, 
bringing  the  members  into  connection  one  with  another, 
and  stimulating  mutual  acquaintance  and  sympathy. 
These  need  not  be  at  all  expensive  affairs.  A  little  lemon- 
ade and  cake  is  quite  sufficient  to  meet  all  the  requirements 
of  such  a  gathering.  If  this  be  not  possible,  it  is  well 
to  aim  at  a  union  of  the  Home  Department  with  the 
regular  Sunday  school  as  frequently  as  possible.  Once 
a  quarter,  or  once  every  six   months  it  surely  could  be 


THE    HOME    DEPARTMENT.  237 

brought  about.  In  this  way  the  connection  between  the 
home  school  and  its  Home  Department  would  be  made 
vital,  and  parents  and  children  together  would  find  the 
reunion  most  charming. 

After  a  School  has  Started  its  Home  Depart- 
ment, the  visitors  must  be  kept  up  to  their  work  by 
kindly  supervision  and  earnest  Christian  sympathy.  To 
do  this  is  not  difficult,  though  it  may  require  on  the  part 
of  the  leaders  the  "  grace  of  continuity."  Some  of  the 
members  will  move  away,  others  naturally  will  drop 
out.  Available  persons  will  move  into  the  district,  and 
the  loss  must  be  made  good  by  new  material.  All  this 
can  be  done  only  by  "patient  continuance  in  well  do- 
ing." But  here,  as  well  as  everywhere  else,  labor  has 
its  own  reward. 

If  the  Pastor  of  Any  Church  be  in  close  touch 
with*  his  Home  Department  visitors,  they  can  bring  him 
much  information  concerning  the  home  life  of  his 
people,  which  he  otherwise  would  not  get.  The  pastor 
cannot  be  everywhere  at  the  same  time,  and  wants  arise 
in  homes  of  which  he  is  entirely  ignorant.  If  his  visi- 
tors inform  him  of  these  wants  seasonably,  he  can  go  to 
meet  them,  when  under  other  circumstances  the  needy 
ones  would  be  left  to  suffer.  This  is  no  small  advan- 
tage to  the  active  and  overworked  pastor. 

Every  Cominiunity  Will  Have  its  own  difficulties 
in  starting  a  Home  Department,  but  if  we  will  be  fright- 


238  WAYS    OF    WORKING. 

ened  by  difficulties,  we  may  as  well  never  begin  any 
good  work.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Home  Departments 
have  been  successfully  managed  in  large  cities  like 
New  York,  and  in  small  and  scattered  rural  districts. 
**  Where  there  is  a  will  there  is  away,"  and  whoever 
begins  this  new  departure  with  a  thorough  determina- 
tion to  succeed  will  certainly  not  fail.  I  have  never 
heard  of  a  Home  Department  well  established  that  has 
been  given  up,  for  the  benefits  accruing  to  all  from 
its  operation  have  been  so  great  that  the  workers  have 
been  unwilling  to  abandon  the  plan.  Try  it  in  your 
school,  and  see  if  your  experience  does  not  bear  witness 
to  that  of  thousands  of  others. 

In  case  you  desire  Home  Department  literature,  write 
to  W.  A.  Wilde  Company,  120  Boylston  St.,  Boston, 
and  they  will  furnish  you  whatever  you  need. 


The  Teacher,  The  Child 
and  The  Book 

OR,    PRACTICAL   SUGGESTIONS   AND    METHODS 
FOR    SUNDAY-SCHOOL    WORKERS 

By  Rev.  A.  F.  Schauffler,  D.D. 
2S3  pp.     Cloth,  $1.00 


"  Not  many  men  among  us  are  better  able  to  teach  teachers 
than  Dr.  Schauffler.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to  the  work,  and  he 
has  done  it  well.  This  book  is  full  of  good  things.  Its  aim  is  to 
give  the  teacher  information  concerning  methods  of  work  which  have 
been  found  practical  and  helpful.  The  book  is  heartily  commended 
to  teachers  who  desire  to  make  the  most  possible  of  their  ability  and 
of  their  opportunity." —  T/ie  Westminster  Teacher. 

"  All  the  promises  of  the  title  page  are  fully  kept.  This  volume 
gives  to  teachers  a  variety  of  carefully  selected  information  concern- 
ing methods  of  work  which  have  been  found  practical  and  helpful  by 
others.  Rarely  indeed  have  we  made  the  acquamtance  of  a  book 
that  has  a  better  claim  to  be  regarded  as  practical.  The  suggestions 
that  are  offered  have  the  backing  of  sound  common  sense  and  the 
recommendation  of  successful  trial.  A  teacher  that  is  capable  of 
learning  anything  at  all  from  such  a  book  as  this  cannot  fail  to  get 
new  strength  and  quickening  for  his  great  work  from  these  rich 
pages." —  Sunday  School  Work. 

"  Teachers  who  really  wish  to  teach,  and  so  instruct  the  child  in 
the  precious  truths  of  the  divine  word  as  that  a  lasting  impression 
shall  be  made,  will  find  this  volume  of  very  great  help  in  the  wise 
performance  of  their  sacred  task." —  The  Examiner. 

"  This  book  is  exceedingly  practical  as  well  as  very  attractive. 
Each  chapter  gives  a  definite  view  of  some  important  truth.  Dr. 
Schauffler  does  not  aim  at  exhaustiveness,  but  rather  at  clear  impres- 
sions. The  volume  is  one  that  is  sure  to  energize  any  Sunday  school 
whose  teachers  will  read  it." —  The  Christian  Endeavor  World. 

"  This  book  is  not  visionary,  nor  theoretical,  but  intensely  practi- 
cal; it  tells  an  average  teacher  how  to  do  things  with  just  what  may 
be  at  hand  with  an  average  class  of  little  ones,  or  with  larger 
children."  —  The  Baptist  Teacher. 


W.A.WILDE    COMPANY 

BOSTON    AiNI)    CHICAGO 


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1 

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